Back in May, David Lat reported on Above the Law that Paul Matey was a leading contender for the open New Jersey seat on the Third Circuit.

This afternoon, Andrew Seidman and Jonathan Tamari report on Philly.com that Matey remains a strong candidate for the nomination:

Also in play is a spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia. Another Christie ally, Paul Matey, is being vetted for that judgeship, the sources said. The negotiations go as far as to include U.S. Marshall positions.

 The sources described the maneuvering to the Inquirer and Daily News on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private talks.

One of the sources said he was interviewed by the FBI with regard to Carpenito and Matey, a former federal prosecutor who was Christie’s deputy chief counsel in the governor’s office, as part of the bureau’s routine vetting process.

The final details of a potential deal are still pending, but are aimed, in part, at breaking a logjam set up by competing Republican power brokers and New Jersey’s two Democratic senators, who, under Senate tradition, can block nominees in their home state.

The article confirms that Matey is 46 and reports that he could not be reached for comment.