The Daily Signal - This Lawyer Has Known Supreme Court Finalist Barbara Lagoa for 20 Years. Here's What He Has To Say.

Episode Date: September 24, 2020

Justin Sayfie, a lawyer, government relations consultant, and digital entrepreneur, says he has known Judge Barbara Lagoa, one of President Donald Trump's finalists for the Supreme Court, for 20 years. He joins The Daily Signal Podcast to talk about their friendship, Lagoa's career, and her potential as a Supreme Court justice. We also cover these stories: President Trump says he will sign an executive order to protect babies born alive after a botched abortion.  The president announces new sanctions on Cuba.  Kentucky's attorney general announces a grand jury's charges in the mistaken police killing of Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical technician who was shot and killed in her home when three officers broke in with a search warrant.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Thursday, September 24th. I'm Virginia Allen. And I'm Rachel Del Judas. Justin Safi is a government relations consultant, digital entrepreneur and attorney who has known Judge Barbara Lagoa for 20 years. He's also the publisher of the Safety Review. Judge Lagoa is a Cuban-American federal appellate judge who is a frontrunner to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He joins me on the Daily Signal podcast to talk about his friend and potential Supreme Court nominee. Don't forget. If you're enjoying this podcast, please be sure to leave a review or a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and encourage others to subscribe. Now onto our top news.

President Trump says he plans to sign a new executive order that will protect babies born alive after botched abortions. Speaking at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast Wednesday, the president said, I will always protect the vital role of religion and prayer in American society, and I will always defend the sacred right to life. Trump added that the executive order will ensure that all precious babies born alive, no matter their circumstances, received the medical care that they deserve. The Born Alive Infant Protection Act has been introduced to Congress multiple times, but has not received the bipartisan support needed to become law.

The president did not specify at the Wednesday breakfast the timeline of when he plans to sign the Born Alive Executive Order. President Trump on Wednesday announced new sanctions on Cuba. The sanctions restricts imports of Cuban alcohol and tobacco and keeps Americans who are going to Cuba from staying in properties owned by the Cuban government. Here's what Trump had to say about the new Cuba sanctions via the White House. Today, as part of our continuing fight against communist oppression, I am announcing that the Treasury Department will prohibit U.S. travelers from staying at properties owned by the Cuban government. We're also further restricting the importation of Cuban alcohol and Cuban tobacco.

These actions will ensure that U.S. dollars do not fund the Cuban regime and go directly to the Cuban people. big difference, big difference, really. We're also imposing strict sanctions on the dictatorships of Nicaragua and Venezuela. On Wednesday, a ruling was made in the case of Brianna Taylor, a Kentucky woman who was shot and killed in her home in March, and Jefferson County, Kentucky grand jury has charged former Louisville police officer Brent Hankison

with three counts of wanton endangerment of the first degree. The state defines wanton endangerment as manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life and engaging in conduct, which creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said the jury's charge could land the former officer in prison for up to five years. Cameron added that my office is prepared to prove these charges at trial. However, it's important to note he is presumed innocent until proven guilty per CNN. The other two officers involved in the shooting have been found to have been justified in their use of force. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts delivered remarks Wednesday honoring the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during a private ceremony at the Supreme Court.

Here's what Roberts had to say via ABC News. Jane, Jim, the entire Ginsburg family. On behalf of all the justices, the spouses of the justices, and the entire Supreme Court family, I offer our heartfelt condolences on the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. That loss is widely shared, but we know that it falls most heavily on the family.

Justice Ginsburg's life was one of the many versions of the American dream. Her father was an immigrant from Odessa. Her mother was born four months. after her family arrived from Poland. Her mother later worked as a bookkeeper in Brooklyn. Ruth used to ask, what is the difference between a bookkeeper in Brooklyn

and a Supreme Court justice? Her answer? One generation. It has been said that Ruth wanted to be an opera virtuoso, but became a rock star instead. But she chose the law, Subjected to discrimination in law school and the job market, because she was a woman, Ruth would grow to become the leading advocate fighting such discrimination in court. She was not an opera star, but she found her stage, right behind me in our courtroom.

There she won famous victories that helped move our nation closer to equal justice under law, to the extent that women are now a majority in law school. not simply a handful. Later she became a star on the bench where she sat for 27 years. Her 483 majority, concurring, and descending opinions will steer the court for decades.

Now stay tuned for my conversation with Justin Safie, a government relations consultant, digital entrepreneur and attorney, who has known Judge Barbara Agoa for 20 years. He joins me on the Daily Signal podcast to talk about his friend and potential Supreme Court nominee. Conservative women.

Conservative feminist. It's true. We do exist. I'm Virginia Allen, and every Thursday morning on problematic women, Lauren Evans and I sort through the news to bring you stories and interviews that are particular interest to conservative leaning or problematic women.

That is women whose views and opinions are often excluded or mocked by those on the so-called feminist left. We talk about everything from pop culture to policy and politics. Search for problematic women wherever you get your podcast. I'm joined today on the Daily Signal podcast by Justin Safi. He's a government relations consultant, digital entrepreneur and attorney who has known Judge Barber Lagoa for 20 years. He's also the publisher of the Safi Review. Judge Lagoa is a Cuban-American federal appellate judge who is the frontrunner to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Mr. Safi, it's great to have you with us on the Daily Signal podcast. Thanks for having me. It's great to be here. Well, thank you so much for making time to be with us today. Can you just start off by telling us about how you know Judge Lagoa? Sure. I had worked in Florida for Governor Jeff Bush as a spokesman and policy advisor. And when I left the state capitol and returned to the Miami area, I became involved once again in the Federal Society. I had started the chapter of the Federal Society at the University of Miami Law School when I was in law school there. And I got involved in the Federal Society chapter.

And I was on a judicial nominating commission that nominated state court judges. And as a result of those two activities, I met Judge Lagoa and her husband, Paul Huck. And they became good friends of mine. We are ideological soulmates in many ways, not just with our interest in the Federal Society, but in other areas as well. So that's kind of how our friendship started, and that was in 2001. Well, we'll be talking more about her personal and professional accomplishments, but as a friend, first of all, Judge Lagoas, what would you like to say about her in that capacity?

Sure. Well, the thing that's to me remarkable about her is that she's the same person now that she was when I first met her 19 years ago, in the sense that, you know, it can be a challenge sometimes for people who become judges to retain their sense of humility, especially when you've been elevated like Judge Lagoa has. She's been appointed by two governors, Governor Jeff Bush, put her on the state appellate court, and Governor Rhonda Sanchez, our current governor in Florida, put her on the state Supreme Court. And then President Trump nominated her, and she was confirmed by the Senate to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, federal court. So despite all of the judicial

elevations and powerful positions she's been in, she's still the same person has the same amount of humility that she had when I first met her. And that's one of the things I admire most about her. Well, Judge Ligal was the first Latina to serve on Florida Supreme Court. What else would you like to share about her career and how she's broken glass ceilings? Right. Well, you mentioned a big one there. First Latina to serve on the Florida Supreme Court long overdue, and she well qualified for that position and was the first act of the newly elected, newly inaugurated Governor Ronda Santis in Florida. It's the first official act he took was to announce he was appointing her to the Supreme Court. And she has distinguished herself in her career as a jurist, both on the state appellate court before she was. on the state Supreme Court. So her writing has been clear. She has an intellectual force that she writes with. And, you know, I think that she's got a career of writing hundreds and hundreds of opinions. So her judicial philosophy is well known. It's one that I respect and admire.

We mentioned her hundreds and hundreds of opinions that she's written. Are there any specific cases, Judge Lago has been part of that of particular. stood out to you? Well, you know, I'm not a follower of the appellate courts, and so I don't practice that kind of law. I think that a lot of the cases she dealt with when she was on the state court were different types of state litigation matters. And one case that's of recent vintage that was recently decided when she was on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals was interpreting a newly passed constitutional amendment in the state of Florida, which was known in Florida as Amendment 4, that the voters passed in 2018 statewide, and it allows for convicted felons to regain

their right to vote if they complete all terms of their sentence. This was challenged by certain activists and activist groups, and this decision was just recently to decided and Judge Lagoa wrote with the majority opinion, it was in support of the majority opinion, that found that that requirement that the felons complete all terms of their sentence, including restitution and fines before they're allowed to vote, was constitutional. So to me, I think that's probably a most recent case and the one that's received a fair amount of publicity that kind of talks to and speaks to the type of judge that she is and her judicial philosophy.

Well, are there any ways Judge Lagoa has mentored young people, especially young women, that you would like to highlight? Well, I don't know for certain, but I do know that she has had a number of clerks in her position on the state appellate courts. And I know that she's had clerks as well on their Supreme Court in the 11th Circuit Court of appeal. I think that that's one of the ways that she has been able to mentor young people, young lawyers, provide them with guidance and obviously an incredible opportunity to work that closely with a judge. So I don't know any of her clerks personally, but I know it's something

that she definitely values and is definitely done over her career. Well, you had mentioned the judge's humility and all the different opportunities she's had that she has just, retain this humility and sense of perspective. Is there anything else about her in more that personal light as a friend, as a mom, other things you've observed that can illustrate to others herself as a person? Sure, absolutely. I would say two things. One is the fact that her parents, she's the daughter of immigrants.

And not just the daughter of immigrants, but her parents fled a communist dictatorship in Cuba. and came to the United States. And Barbara was born, for those of us who were from South Florida, you know, she was born in a very working-class neighborhood, High Lea, Florida, to those who are familiar with the Miami-Dade County area. And so from that, those humble beginnings, she went to the public university there, Florida International University in Miami, and then amassed a stellar academic career,

academic career and was admitted to Columbia Law School in New York City. And so I think that that is a classic American story. The daughter of immigrants flee dictatorship and their daughter not only gets admitted to a Ivy League law school, but then is now being considered for a position on the United States Supreme Court. So I think that that's one thing that people who want to know more about her really would be well served to understand is that she, her upbringing in that, in her family, in that exile experience that her parents had, was very formative of her early years and of her appreciation for the rule of law, her appreciation for the American form of government, the appreciation for the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans, and the importance of the

of separation of powers, importance that each branch of government only do, only exercise power within their respective branch, especially the judicial branch, which we know from the framers, they put it as Article III behind the Congress and behind the president as the least of the three branches and the weakest branch of government. So I think that's one thing. The second thing on a personal level is her family. I happen to have twin boys, identical twin boys, and she and her husband had fraternal twin daughters. So she and I over the years would have a support group, a parents of twin support group, and we would kind of enjoy all the stories that parents tell each other about all the challenges

and the rewards of being parents of twins. And so she's really remarkable in the sense that she's had a very successful professional career by any standard, by any measure, but she's also been an exceptional mother and an exceptional woman in her family. So that's another thing that's really, truly remarkable to me as a friend of hers. Well, thanks for sharing that. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had passed away on Friday, and since that time, so much has happened in the media. What is your perspective on how the media has covered not only Judge Lagoa, but also the whole situation at the Supreme Court so far? Yeah, I think that the media has, look, Justice Ginsburg, as President Trump said, led an amazing life and the remarkable life. And again, that's a true, unique American story as well.

And so I think that the kudos and the honors and the accolades for Justice Ginsburg are well-deserved. And that's entirely appropriate in my view. I think that when it comes to looking at Judge Lagoa and the other very well-qualified candidates, I think that so far the coverage has been pretty fair, relatively speaking. I mean, I'm kind of grading on a curve a little bit. because I don't have high marks for how the news media has covered this president. But I think if I grade on a curve, they've been relatively fair. Now, once President Trump makes his nomination, I would say all bets are off.

I think the long knives will come out, and they're already being sharpened, I imagine, right now. We saw what happened to Justice Kavanaugh when he went through the confirmation process. and I expect that this could be as brutal, if not more brutal, than that one, unfortunately. I don't want to see that happen. I hope it doesn't happen, but it seems like that's a possibility. Well, as we wrap up, is there anything else about Judge Lagoa that you would like to share that we haven't yet talked about? Well, I think it's also important to note that she's a woman of faith. She is her daughters all attend all-girls Catholic school,

And I know that her faith is very important to her in her life. And she's just someone who I'm proud and honored to see the president, consider her for this position. And I think the people that don't know are whether she ascends to the high court or not, or she stays on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal, to me, I take comfort in the fact that someone with her moral character, someone with her philosophy, judicial philosophy of judicial restraint and respect for the limited role of the judiciary is on the bench and is not interested in inserting her own personal

opinions into her decision-making as a judge. So that's something, I guess, that is important, I think, for protection of our democracy. And whether she continues to serve on the 11th Circuit or on the Supreme Court, I think that all Americans be proud that someone of her background and of her caliber is serving all of us in this important position. Well, Justin, thank you so much for joining us on the Daily Signal podcast. We appreciate having you. Thanks for having me. And that'll do it for today's episode.

Thanks for listening to the Daily Signal podcast. You can find the Daily Signal podcast on Google Play, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and now, iHeartRadio. please be sure to leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and encourage others to subscribe. Thanks again for listening and we'll be back with you all tomorrow. The Daily Signal podcast is brought to you by more than half a million members of the Heritage Foundation. It is executive produced by Kate Trinko and Rachel Del Judas, sound design by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinney, and John Pop. For more information, visitdailySignal.com.