The Trump administration has filed a formal misconduct complaint against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, escalating tensions between the executive branch and the judiciary as battles over presidential authority continue to intensify.
The Department of Justice submitted the complaint Monday, accusing Boasberg—chief judge of the DC federal court—of undermining judicial impartiality during a March meeting of the Judicial Conference. According to the complaint, Boasberg warned fellow judges, including Chief Justice John Roberts, that President Trump might defy court rulings and provoke a “constitutional crisis.”
“Judge Boasberg used the gathering to voice politically charged speculation about President Trump’s intent to ignore the courts,” wrote Chad Mizelle, chief of staff to Attorney General Pamela Bondi, in the filing. “His comments had no factual basis and served only to erode trust in the judiciary.”
The complaint further claims Boasberg acted on those remarks shortly afterward by issuing a ruling that limited the Trump administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which it had invoked to deport undocumented immigrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
The Federalist first reported on Boasberg’s comments earlier this month, citing a conference memo. In response to Boasberg’s remarks, Chief Justice Roberts reportedly expressed hope that no constitutional crisis would arise.
Bondi defended the complaint Monday night on social media, stating it was filed under her directive: “Judge Boasberg’s conduct calls into question the integrity of the court system. We will not tolerate this kind of politicization.”
CNN has reached out to Judge Boasberg for comment but has not received a response.
This latest complaint follows another misconduct filing earlier this year against Judge Ana Reyes over her handling of litigation surrounding Trump’s executive order banning transgender individuals from military service.
The DOJ has asked Sri Srinivasan, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, to convene a special investigative committee, reassign Boasberg’s relevant cases, and consider disciplinary actions—including a public reprimand or possible referral for impeachment.
It’s highly unusual for the Justice Department to take such a direct approach against a sitting judge. Judicial conferences are typically private, and disputes over judges’ conduct are rarely aired so publicly.
President Trump has significantly ramped up his rhetoric against the judiciary during his second term. In March, he labeled Boasberg a “Radical Left Lunatic Judge” and demanded his impeachment—prompting a rare response from Chief Justice Roberts.
“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said in a statement at the time. “The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”
While federal judges hold lifetime appointments, impeachment is exceedingly rare. Since 1803, only 15 judges have been impeached by the House, with eight convictions in the Senate.
Judge Boasberg, appointed to the DC district court by President Barack Obama and previously to DC’s local bench by President George W. Bush, was once seen as a relatively nonpartisan figure. However, he has become a frequent target of criticism from Trump allies.
Boasberg drew fire from conservatives for what they saw as lenient sentences for January 6 rioters. He also ordered the release of FISA court records revealing serious problems with the FBI’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation, and allowed conservative groups access to some of Hillary Clinton’s emails from her private server.
