Tony Mattivi has been nominated to serve as a Judge on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas.
Evidence and Verdict
For
Reuters reported that President Trump nominated Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Tony Mattivi to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas (published Feb. 19, 2026). USA Today / Topeka Capital-Journal published that Trump named Tony Mattivi (alongside Anthony Powell and Jeffrey Kuhlman) to fill district-court vacancies in Kansas (published Feb. 18, 2026). Background reporting from AP and local outlets identifies Anthony “Tony” Mattivi as a former federal prosecutor and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation director, consistent with the identity named in the nomination notices.
Against
A presidential nomination is not the same as an appointment or confirmation; nominees must be formally submitted to and confirmed by the U.S. Senate before receiving a lifetime commission and taking office. As of the cited announcement dates (Feb. 18–19, 2026), there is no evidence provided that the Senate has confirmed Mattivi or that he has received a judicial commission. Reporting uses the name variants Tony/Anthony; while background reporting aligns the identity, confirming the exact legal/formal name is a routine verification step.
Verdict
Multiple reputable news organizations reported that President Trump announced the nomination of Tony (Anthony) Mattivi to be a judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. Those reports support the claim that he was nominated. However, nomination by the President is an initial step — confirmation by the U.S. Senate and issuance of a judicial commission are separate, subsequent steps. Given the contemporaneous news reporting and lack of evidence of Senate confirmation as of the announcement, the claim that he was nominated is TRUE, with the important contextual note that he is not yet a confirmed or commissioned federal judge.
Sources
Trump nominates Kansas Bureau of Investigation director to federal bench
Trump nominates Kansas Bureau of Investigation director to federal bench - Feb 19, 2026
Reuters reported (Feb. 19, 2026) that President Trump nominated Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Tony Mattivi to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, listi...
Open sourceTrump names nominees for Kansas federal court vacancies
Trump names nominees for Kansas federal court vacancies - Feb 19, 2026
A syndicated piece published Feb. 18, 2026 in USA Today and the Topeka Capital-Journal reported that Trump named Tony Mattivi, Anthony Powell and Jeffrey Kuhlman to fill district-court vacancies in...
Open sourceBackground on Anthony 'Tony' Mattivi
Background on Anthony 'Tony' Mattivi - Feb 19, 2026
Associated Press and local reporting provide background on Anthony 'Tony' Mattivi, noting his prior work as a federal prosecutor and his role as director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, whic...
Open source