Two Republican members of Congress from Georgia have introduced resolutions for the impeachment of U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross. The revelations come after an investigation confirmed her involvement in misconduct, including having sexual relations in her chambers with a police officer, attending a partisan political event, and lying to investigators. Representatives Clay Fuller and Andrew Clyde are spearheading these resolutions.
Clyde expressed his concerns on social media, stating Judge Ross’s actions undermine her ability to maintain integrity and impartiality required for her role. The responsibility to decide whether to pursue impeachment now lies with the House Judiciary Committee. Federal judges receive lifetime appointments but can be impeached to remove them from their positions.
An individual who answered the phone at Judge Ross’s office declined to comment on the situation. Judge Ross was appointed to her current role in January 2014 by then-President Barack Obama. Before her tenure as a federal judge, she served as a state court judge in DeKalb County starting in 2011, and prior to that, worked as a prosecutor in Atlanta for over ten years.
The probe into Judge Ross commenced after one of her law clerks reported that the judge had sexual encounters with a high-ranking police officer in her office. The investigation also noted her attending a partisan event and initially lying about the allegations.
The internal investigation did not initially disclose the judge’s identity or specify the court location within the 11th Circuit, encompassing Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. However, a credible source confirmed that Ross was the disciplined judge. The Atlanta Police Department has opened its own inquiry to determine if the officer involved is within their ranks.
Chief Judge William Pryor initiated the investigation after the allegations surfaced. At first, Judge Ross denied all claims but later accused the reporting clerk of retaliating due to dissatisfaction with work requirements. Pryor appointed a special committee to delve deeper into the allegations.
The committee’s investigation, which included reviewing logs and security footage, showed frequent visits by the officer to Judge Ross’s chambers. Six clerks confirmed witnessing someone matching the officer’s description, and three reported overhearing possible sexual encounters.
Additionally, some clerks mentioned Judge Ross’s lack of supervision and guidance. They observed that she seldom engaged in substantive revisions of civil orders. Although the atmosphere was described as tense by the clerks, the committee did not find sufficient evidence of abusive behavior.
Ultimately, Judge Ross admitted to having a relationship with the police officer but refuted claims of mistreating staff. She acknowledged attending a social event with colleagues but insisted it occurred separately from the victory party mentioned in the allegations.
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