03.07.19

Hoeven: Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Nomination of Peter Welte

Senator Working to Secure Confirmation by Full Senate for Welte and Drew Wrigley Nominations

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination of Peter Welte to serve as the U.S. District Court Judge for North Dakota. 

“Given his qualifications and strong record of upholding the rule of law, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Peter’s nomination today,” said Hoeven. “Now that we’ve secured committee approval for both Peter’s nomination to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge and Drew Wrigley to be U.S. Attorney, we’ll work to move these nomination through the full Senate as soon as possible. These nominees are immensely qualified for these posts and the Senate should confirm them.” 

Last week, the Judiciary Committee advanced the nomination of former Lt. Governor Drew Wrigley to again serve as U.S. Attorney for North Dakota. 

PETER WELTE

Welte, who Hoeven introduced at his confirmation hearing in February, has a broad range of legal experience both in the public and private sectors. He is currently in private practice, emphasizing in criminal defense and agricultural law, and is also serving a second term on the Board of Governors of the State Bar Association of North Dakota. From 2002 through 2015, Welte served as the State’s Attorney of Grand Forks County, the top prosecutor for the county. Welte received his undergraduate degree in Agricultural Economics from North Dakota State University in 1989 and graduated with distinction from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1997. 

DREW WRIGLEY

Wrigley served as Lt. Governor of North Dakota from 2010 to 2016. Prior to that, he served as U.S. Attorney for North Dakota from 2001 to 2009, the top federal law enforcement officer for the state. He received his bachelor’s degree in Economics with honors from the University of North Dakota and is a graduate of the American University Washington College of Law. Following law school, Wrigley served as a prosecuting attorney in the Office of the Fargo City Attorney and as an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia from 1993 to 1998. 

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