The White House is reportedly vetting a former public defender to replace Scalia

Diego M. Radzinschi/The National Law Journal

The White House is vetting Jane L. Kelly, an 8th Circuit court judge, as a possible replacement for Antonin Scalia, according to an anonymous source who spoke to The New York Times on Wednesday. 

The source told The New York Times that the FBI has conducted several background interviews with Kelly. 

Kelly, a graduate of Harvard Law and a former public defender in Iowa, was confirmed unanimously by the Senate during her confirmation hearings in 2013.

Chuck Grassley, (R-Iowa), the chairman of the senate judiciary committee, praised Kelly for her work in Iowa on the Senate floor, reports The New York Times. 

Grassley has publicly said that he will not hold any hearings to replace Scalia until after the next president is sworn in. Nominating Kelly could put him in a difficult position, given his previous support. 

NOW WATCH: POWER RANKINGS: Who has the best chance of becoming the next president