Washington D.C., US | July 29, 2025: US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced today that the Justice Department has filed a formal misconduct complaint against US District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg. The complaint alleges that Judge Boasberg made “improper public comments” about President Donald Trump and his administration, undermining judicial impartiality.
In a post on X, Bondi stated, “Today at my direction, [DOJ] filed a misconduct complaint against US District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg for making improper public comments about President Trump and his Administration.”
The complaint, penned by Bondi’s chief of staff Chad Mizelle, has been submitted to Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan of the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Fox News reported that the complaint centers on remarks allegedly made by Judge Boasberg at a judicial conference on March 11, attended by US Chief Justice John Roberts and nearly two dozen other judges.
Mizelle alleges that Boasberg deviated from traditional administrative topics to express his belief that the Trump administration would “disregard rulings of federal courts” and trigger “a constitutional crisis.”
“While there, Judge Boasberg attempted to improperly influence Chief Justice Roberts and roughly two dozen other federal judges by straying from the traditional topics to express his belief that the Trump Administration would ‘disregard rulings of federal courts’ and trigger ‘a constitutional crisis,'” Mizelle wrote, according to Fox News. The complaint further asserts that Boasberg’s comments lacked any basis, as “the Trump Administration has always complied with all court orders.”
The timing of these alleged comments is critical, as they came just days before Judge Boasberg presided over a significant case involving the Trump administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. This act was invoked to deport suspected migrant gang members to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador.
On March 15, Judge Boasberg ruled to halt these deportation flights, claiming the Trump administration had violated his prior order. This ruling was subsequently overturned by the Supreme Court.
Judge Boasberg, 62, is an appointee of former President Barack Obama.
Mizelle’s complaint argues that Boasberg’s remarks and subsequent actions demonstrate bias and violate the Code of Conduct for US Judges, specifically Canons 1, 2(A), and 3(A)(6) which pertain to upholding the integrity and independence of the judiciary, avoiding impropriety, and performing duties impartially.
“Within days of those statements, Judge Boasberg began acting on his preconceived belief that the Trump Administration would not follow court orders,” Mizelle wrote, as reported by the New York Post. He contended that the judge’s conduct “erodes public confidence in judicial neutrality” and called for his immediate removal from the ongoing case to “prevent further erosion” during the investigation.
Under the procedures for judicial conduct and disability, complaints about federal judges are typically reviewed by the chief judge of the appellate circuit. The chief judge can dismiss the complaint or refer it to a special committee for investigation. If misconduct is found, various disciplinary actions can be taken, though removal from the bench requires impeachment by Congress.