Citing his allegiance to the executive branch and “questionable dedication to the rule of law,” a D.C. Council panel on Monday rejected the nomination of Peter Nickles as attorney general, spurring a vigorous lobbying campaign ahead of today’s full council vote.

The Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, chaired by at-large Councilman Phil Mendelson, backed a “disapproval resolution” on Nickles by a 3-2 tally. Under council rules, the nomination would have been automatically approved had the committee not acted to turn it down.