The U.S. Senate on Wednesday narrowly rejected President Obama’s choice to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The 47-52 vote was shy of the majority needed, the New York Daily News reports.
Debo Adegbile couldn’t muster a majority because eight Democrats joined all 44 Republicans in voting no.
At issue was Adegbile’s role in offering legal help to a man who shot a Philadelphia police officer.
Obama didn’t say whether his office would give the appointment another go.
Obama called the rejection a ““travesty based on wildly unfair character attacks against a good and qualified public servant.”