The U.S. Department of Justice has requested a judge to step down from a case involving Georgia election records. The department cited concerns about impartiality, as the judge attended an event honoring Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who had prosecuted former President Donald Trump.
Allegations Against the Judge
A judge from the 11th Judicial Circuit received a private reprimand for inappropriate conduct, which included engaging in sexual activity in the courthouse, attending a partisan event, and initially lying about the allegations. The investigation did not publicly reveal the judge’s name or court location. However, media reports suggest U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta is involved. The Associated Press has not confirmed this.
A representative in Ross’ chambers claimed the judge was unavailable and redirected inquiries to the court’s media office, which declined to comment.
Judicial Discipline
Federal judges hold lifetime appointments but are subject to disciplinary action. This includes censure, reprimands, and temporary case assignments being revoked, though they can only be removed via impeachment by Congress. Ross was appointed in 2014 by then-President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate. She had previously served as a judge in DeKalb County and worked as a prosecutor in Atlanta.
Georgia Election Records Case
Judge Ross is handling a lawsuit from the Justice Department against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. The lawsuit addresses the statewide voter lists, with Georgia law imposing constraints on releasing voters’ personal information unless specific conditions are met. Raffensperger stated that he sent the public part of the voter roll to the Justice Department in December. Despite a scheduled hearing on Wednesday, the Justice Department has requested a delay due to its recusal motion.
The Judicial Council’s Decision
The 11th Circuit’s Judicial Council decided in February to issue a private reprimand, keeping the judge’s identity confidential. The U.S. Judicial Conference’s Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability upheld this decision in May. An investigation report revealed the judge’s attendance at a district attorney’s campaign event, which was considered inappropriate due to its partisan nature.
Previously, Ross worked in the Fulton County district attorney’s office with Willis, before Willis assumed her current role. Willis had launched a probe in 2021 into Trump’s alleged election interference, focusing on a phone call with Raffensperger where Trump requested finding votes to overturn Biden’s Georgia victory. Willis obtained an indictment against Trump and others in 2023, though the case was dismissed due to perceived impropriety stemming from Willis’ relationship with a lawyer involved in the prosecution.
Justice Department’s Argument
The Justice Department argued that Ross’ presence at the event indicated bias, especially given the judge’s connection to a Democratic figure involved in a high-profile Republican prosecution. The filing stated that an “objective reasonable observer” would view Ross’ attendance as an endorsement of Willis’ actions and campaign.
The Justice Department motion also briefly referred to allegations of improper conduct involving sexual activity with a police officer in the judge’s chambers. However, it stated these allegations were not the focus of the current motion. The Atlanta Police Department is investigating whether the officer involved is part of their force.
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