Gerald Ford judicial appointment controversies Herbert De Simone (nominated August 5, 1976), and James Andersen (nominated August 6, 1976). Gerald Ford judicial appointment controversies During President Gerald Ford's presidency, he nominated two people for two different federal appellate judgeships who were not processed by the Democratic-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee before Ford's presidency ended. Neither of the two nominees was renominated by Ford's successor, President Jimmy Carter. Both nominees were nominated after July 1, 1976, the traditional start date of the unofficial Thurmond Rule during a presidential election year. Both seats eventually were filled by appointees of President Jimmy Carter. The two nominees were blocked in
Gerald J. Ford Gerald J. Ford Gerald J. Ford (born 1944) is an American businessman. Gerald Ford was raised in Pampa, Texas and attended Pampa Senior High School. He graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas in 1966, where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He received a J.D. from the SMU School of Law in 1969. He is former Chairman of the board and Chief Executive Officer of Golden State Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco. It was a holding company for the nation's second largest thrift institution and California's fourth largest bank. In 2002, he sold