The U.S. Department of Justice has escalated its review of judicial conduct by filing a formal complaint against U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg, who recently clashed with the Trump administration over its deportation policies.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on July 28 that she had authorized the complaint, accusing Boasberg of making “improper public comments about President Trump and his Administration” during a March judicial conference.
“These comments have undermined the integrity of the judiciary, and we will not stand for that,” Bondi posted on X.
Boasberg, 62, currently serves as chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He sparked controversy earlier this year when he temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s mass deportation flights targeting alleged Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act. The administration ignored the ruling, prompting Boasberg to initiate contempt proceedings—later paused by a federal appeals court. The Supreme Court ultimately lifted the ban, allowing the deportations to resume.
President Trump reacted strongly to Boasberg’s actions at the time, labeling him a “Radical Left Lunatic” on social media and calling for his impeachment. That prompted a rare rebuke from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who issued a public statement defending judicial independence.
“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 March.
In the newly filed complaint, Bondi’s chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, alleged that Boasberg attempted to sway Roberts and other federal judges during a private judicial conference on March 11. Mizelle claims the judge criticized the Trump administration’s refusal to comply with court rulings—comments that, if made, would violate ethical standards prohibiting judges from publicly discussing pending matters.
Boasberg has served on the D.C. federal bench since 2011, appointed for life by then-President Barack Obama after first being nominated to a local D.C. court by President George W. Bush in 2002.
The Department of Justice has not said whether it will seek further disciplinary action. Boasberg has not publicly commented on the complaint.
