Biden taps former Senator Doug Jones as "sherpa" to guide Supreme Court pick
CBSN
Washington — Former Democratic Senator Doug Jones of Alabama has been selected to guide President Biden's yet-to-be-named Supreme Court nominee through the confirmation process, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News.
As the pick's so-called "sherpa," Jones will be responsible for escorting the eventual nominee to meetings with senators in preparation for confirmation hearings. Typically, sherpas have a deep familiarity with how the Senate and Senate Judiciary Committee work. Jones' selection was first reported by The New York Times.
Jones isn't an unexpected choice. He served as a senator from Alabama from 2018 to 2021, and was the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama from 1997 to 2001. As a prosecutor, he won convictions against two members of the Klu Klux Klan for the deadly 1963 bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama.
