NEW: DOJ shuts out American Bar Association from judicial nomination process

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will no longer comply with ratings on judicial nominees given by the American Bar Association (ABA).

In a letter from Bondi to ABA President William R. Bay, she wrote, "For several decades, the American Bar Association has received special treatment and enjoyed special access to judicial nominees. In some administrations, the ABA received notice of nominees before a nomination was announced to the public. Some administrations would even decide whether to nominate an individual based on a rating assigned by the ABA."

Bondi went onto say that the ABA will no longer get "special treatment" in the access it has been given to various judicial nominees over many years.

"Accordingly, while the ABA is free to comment on judicial nominations along with other activist organizations, there is no justification for treating the ABA differently from such other activist organizations and the Department of Justice will not do so," Bondi added.

Specifically, the Office of Legal Policy will no longer direct nominees to provide waivers allowing the ABA access to non-public information, including bar records. Nominees will also not respond to questionnaires prepared by the ABA and will not sit for interviews with the ABA.”