A federal appeals court judge has rejected a judicial misconduct complaint filed by the U.S. Justice Department against a judge who clashed with former President Donald Trump’s administration over the deportation of several Venezuelans to El Salvador.
The complaint was announced by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in July against Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington, D.C., alleging improper comments made about Trump during a meeting of the Judicial Conference.
In a newly-released order dated December 19, Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton stated that even if the alleged statements were true, they would not violate judicial ethics rules.
Bondi’s announcement of the complaint came shortly after Boasberg indicated he might initiate disciplinary proceedings against Justice Department lawyers for their conduct in a lawsuit involving the removal of Venezuelans to a Salvadoran prison.
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In April, Boasberg concluded that the administration had acted “in bad faith” by conducting deportation flights while legal proceedings were ongoing.
The DOJ’s complaint focused on comments allegedly made by Boasberg during a closed-door meeting in March, expressing concerns about potential disregard for court rulings by the administration.
The DOJ argued that Boasberg’s comments violated judicial ethics, but Sutton stated that such expressions of anxiety about executive compliance with judicial orders were within the customary topics discussed at Judicial Conference meetings.
Due to potential conflicts, Chief U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts transferred the complaint to the 6th Circuit’s Judicial Council in Cincinnati.
Sutton concluded that the DOJ lacked evidence to support the allegations against Boasberg and that his remarks were not improper in the context of the meeting.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Alistair Bell)
