Obama-era judge in Atlanta under pressure over sex scandal

Thank you for signing up!

Subscribe to more newsletters here

Pressure is growing on a federal judge after an investigation discovered she lied about being in an extramarital affair with a high-ranking police officer and having sex within earshot of her clerks. 

Lawyers are in uproar. A prominent ethics watchdog wants an impeachment inquiry. And the Trump administration hopes to kick her off a key lawsuit.  

It’s quite the turn of events for U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross, nominated to the federal bench in Atlanta by then-President Obama in 2013. 

A 20-page investigative report, released by her fellow judges, indicates the affair went on for roughly two years. Clerks reported hearing kissing and moaning noises. Initially, the judge denied the claims before recanting her statement. 

The report does not identify Ross by name, but it provides enough detail where commentators and reporters quickly matched it to Ross. 

“The Subject Judge’s conduct regarding the relationship—particularly when it came to sexual activity in chambers—demonstrated a gross lack of judgment,” the report reads. “Regardless of whether the Subject Judge intended to do so, the judge created a chambers workplace that was extremely uncomfortable and troubling for clerks.” 

The investigation culminated in a private reprimand and concessions that Ross will issue letters of apology to her former clerks. She’ll also forgo serving as her district’s chief judge or on a Judicial Conference committee in the future. 

That was not enough for some.

Fix the Court Director Gabe Roth, a prominent judiciary ethics reform advocate, said he wants to see Congress “dig deeper” and consider impeachment. 

“After an underwhelming result to this point, which looks more like judges protecting their own than serious remediation or punishment, Congress must step in and on a bipartisan basis determine if Judge Ross recanting her false statements is enough to shield her from harsher penalties,” Roth said in a statement. 

The Trump administration, meanwhile, has latched onto revelations that Ross attended Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ (D) victory party. 

Ashleigh Merchant, a Georgia defense attorney who gained national attention for exposing Willis’ romance with a prosecutor she hired to prosecute Trump, found the photo evidence. In the above photo, she points out that’s Ross wearing the blue dress.

The administration wants the judge thrown off a lawsuit it filed that seeks to force Georgia to turn over voter data to the federal government. 

“A judge who attended a party celebrating the election of a Democrat best known for prosecuting a Republican President for alleged election interference cannot then preside over a case concerning that President’s efforts to ensure election integrity,” the Justice Department wrote in its Friday motion. 

Impeaching a federal judge is rare. 

The Senate hasn’t removed a federal judge from office since 2010, when lawmakers rallied to rebuke U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous after evidence came to light that he accepted cash from lawyers. 

Other efforts have stalled. 

The House has yet to vote on a referral to impeach U.S. District Judge Joshua Kindred, who resigned from his post in Alaska after facing accusations of judicial misconduct.  

But unlike Kindred, who left the bench without Congress forcing him, Ross is still serving. 

Welcome to The Gavel, The Hill’s weekly courts newsletter from Zach Schonfeld. Click above to email me tips, or reach out to me on X (@ZachASchonfeld) or Signal (zachschonfeld.48). 

Spirit Airlines’ final sale

Spirit Airlines has one more group of passengers: Its creditors. 

One month after the beleaguered budget airline announced it is winding down operations, it is, at the same time, gearing up to auction off its remaining valuable assets in bankruptcy. 

“This is a difficult task of uncertain duration,” Spirit’s lawyers wrote in court filings last week. 

Spirit Airlines announced on May 2 it was permanently shutting down operations after failing to reach a deal for government bailout. The budget airline had been in bankruptcy for months, but rising jet fuel costs brought its financial troubles to an insurmountable level. 

So, what does Spirit have that’s worth selling? 

Bankruptcy........

© The Hill