In 2006, Friedrich was nominated by President George W. Bush[6] as a member of the United States Sentencing Commission (and ultimately confirmed by the Senate on February 28, 2007[7]), a position she held until 2016.[8] In that capacity, she helped establish sentencing policies and practices for the federal criminal justice system by promulgating guidelines for congressional review and recommending changes in criminal statutes.[9]
Federal judicial service
On May 8, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Friedrich to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, to a seat vacated by Reggie Walton, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2015.[9][10] She was formally nominated on June 7, 2017.[11] On July 25, 2017, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on her nomination.[12] Her nomination was reported out of committee by a voice vote on September 14, 2017.[13] On November 16, 2017, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 93–4 vote.[14] On November 27, 2017, her nomination was confirmed by a 97–3 vote.[15] She received her judicial commission on December 1, 2017.[16]
Friedrich is a prolific feeder judge. Since 2019, she has sent more of her clerks to the Supreme Court than any other district court judge in the country.[17]
Concord Management and Consulting
In June 2018, Friedrich rejected Russian-owned Concord Management and Consulting's request that she examine the instructions provided to the grand jury before the jury indicted the company. Concord accused Special Counsel Robert Mueller's prosecutors of giving faulty instructions, tainting the grand jury's decision to approve charges.[18]
On August 13, 2018, in the case of United States v. Concord Management and Consulting LCC, she ruled against the defendant, one of 16 Russian entities charged by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, when it sought to void its indictment on the ground that Mueller's appointment to his position violated constitutional separation of powers. In a 41-page opinion, she held that although "no statute explicitly authorizes the Acting Attorney General to make the appointment, Supreme Court and D.C. Circuit precedent make clear that the Acting Attorney General has the necessary statutory authority," "the appointment does not violate core separation-of-powers principles. Nor has the Special Counsel exceeded his authority under the appointment order by investigating and prosecuting Concord."[19][20]
In January 2019, Friedrich strongly rebuked the attorneys for Concord Management and Consulting for repeatedly making personal attacks on Mueller's team. The rebuke was triggered by a January 4 filing that questioned the trustworthiness of Mueller's office. Friedrich called Concord's recent filings "unprofessional, inappropriate, and ineffective," and said their "relentless personal attacks" would not affect her decision.[21]
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