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Reproductive Rights Profiles
Daniel Ballou’s Record Against Reproductive Freedom
We strongly oppose Daniel Ballou, Trump's pick to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
Key Takeaways
- Reproductive Freedom for All strongly opposes Daniel Ballou, Trump's pick to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
- Reproductive Freedom for All opposes Daniel Ballou's nomination due to his hostility toward reproductive freedom.
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- Trump has a deeply troubling track record of nominating judges who oppose reproductive freedom, reflecting the Trump administration’s vision for courts that are hostile to the basic reproductive rights and freedoms for all.
Who is Daniel Ballou?
During his unsuccessful campaign for the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2018, Ballou published a campaign video characterizing himself as being “against abortion.”
As a state court judge, Ballou has also been publicly reprimanded for allegedly violating the Kentucky state judicial conduct code on multiple occasions, raising serious concerns for whether he is fit for the federal bench.
Daniel Ballou’s Record Against Democracy and Voting Rights
Ballou has been publicly reprimanded for violating the state judicial conduct code by publicly endorsing a political candidate for public office and allegedly financially contributing to a political campaign.
In 2011, Ballou inappropriately endorsed Rand Paul for the United States Senate by distributing campaign materials while serving as a state court judge, though Ballou contested whether his actions constituted an endorsement.
Additionally, Ballou allegedly contributed funds to former Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, though the state Judicial Conduct Commission later dismissed the judicial misconduct charges. To promote the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, judges must be trusted to refrain from inappropriate and impermissible political activity.
Career
- Bachelor of Arts, University of Kentucky, 1995
- Juris Doctor, University of Mississippi School of Law, 1998
- U.S. Marine Corps, 1984-1995
- Lance Corporal, Active Duty, 1984-1987
- Individual Ready Reserve, 1987
- Sergeant, Active Duty, 1987-1991
- Sergeant, Individual Ready Reserve, 1991-1995
- Copier and Runner, Stoll, Keenon & Park Law Firm (now Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC), 1995
- Associate, Robert L. Brown III, Attorney at Law, 1998-1999
- Law Clerk to the Hon. Eugene Siler Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 1999-2000
- Attorney, Daniel L. Ballou, Attorney at Law, 2000-2002
- Naval Intelligence Officer, U.S. Navy, Selected Reserve/Activated Reservist, 1999-2006
- Judge, Commonwealth of Kentucky Court of Justice, 34th District, 2003-2007
- Intelligence Officer, U.S. Marine Corps, 2006-2015
- Commonwealth of Kentucky Court of Justice, 34th Circuit, 2007-present
- Circuit Court Judge, 2007-2011
- Chief Judge, 2011-present
The Big Picture
Trump has a deeply troubling track record of nominating judges who oppose reproductive freedom, reflecting the Trump administration’s vision for courts that are hostile to the basic reproductive rights and freedoms for all.
Decisions made by these judges will impact our health, access to care, and daily lives, and we deserve to know whether these nominees are committed to fairness and equality under the law or if they are beholden to an ideology or agenda opposing reproductive freedom.
Citations and Sources
- Daniel Ballou, Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary (Aug. 21, 2026).
- Dan Ballou, Vote Judge Dan Ballou Kentucky Supreme Court Nov 6 (YouTube, Oct. 29, 2018), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPfe21CnM7M.
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- Jack Brammer, Kentucky judge reprimanded for touting Rand Paul’s Senate campaign, The Lexington Herald Leader (Sept. 20, 2011), https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article44126697.html.
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