Misconduct Complaint Filed by Justice Department Against Anti-Trump Judge

The Department of Justice has filed a misconduct complaint against James Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Washington, accusing him of making inappropriate and politically charged remarks about President Donald Trump during a closed-door meeting of federal judges earlier this year.

The complaint, spearheaded by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s chief of staff Chad Mizelle, claims that Boasberg attempted to sway other justices by suggesting that the Trump administration “would disregard rulings of federal courts, leading to a constitutional crisis.” These comments, made at the March Judicial Conference, are being called a breach of judicial integrity and impartiality.

“These comments have undermined the integrity of the judiciary, and we will not stand for that,” Bondi wrote on X.

Boasberg, an Obama appointee, has drawn sharp criticism for his repeated efforts to obstruct Trump administration policies, particularly on immigration. Earlier this year, he issued a temporary restraining order blocking deportations of illegal aliens and members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to El Salvador, claiming due process violations.

However, his order was later vacated by the Supreme Court, which also ruled last month against the use of universal injunctions a tool lower courts like Boasberg’s have used to block executive actions nationwide.

The DOJ complaint asserts that Boasberg continued to act on his “preconceived belief” that the Trump administration would not follow court orders. In some cases, he allegedly gave the administration less than 48 hours to respond to complex litigation and even threatened criminal contempt proceedings against senior officials for failing to comply with a court order that had already been nullified by higher courts.

The Judicial Conference, which serves as the federal court system’s policy body and is chaired by Chief Justice John Roberts, is strictly intended to focus on administrative issues such as budgeting, security, and facilities not political commentary or attempts to influence pending cases.

“Although his comments would be inappropriate even if they had some basis, they were even worse because Judge Boasberg had no basis,” the complaint states, noting that the Trump administration has “always complied with court orders.”

John Yoo, a law professor at UC Berkeley and former Justice Department official, criticized Boasberg for attempting to politicize the conference:

“Judge Boasberg used an inappropriate setting to try to get the Chief Justice of the United States to give his opinion on whether there is a constitutional crisis between the courts and the presidency. He was trying to entrap the Chief Justice and join him in a political attack on the Trump administration.”

The Justice Department has called for an official investigation into Boasberg’s conduct. If found guilty of willful misconduct, Boasberg could face a public reprimand and even impeachment proceedings before the Judicial Conference.

The complaint underscores the ongoing tension between President Trump’s efforts to assert executive authority and a judicial system that many conservatives argue has become increasingly politicized under leftist judges.

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