In an important ruling, a federal appeals court judge dismissed a misconduct complaint lodged by the Justice Department against U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg. This occurred after Boasberg had a notable clash with the Trump administration regarding deportations to a prison in El Salvador, drawing significant attention from legal and political circles.
The complaint, addressed on December 19 and revealed recently, involved comments allegedly made by Boasberg during a judicial conference in March 2025. The judge is reported to have warned Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges of a potential constitutional crisis if the administration ignored federal court rulings. This warning was delivered just before Boasberg issued a ruling that blocked deportation flights initiated by Trump, which were being executed under wartime powers.
Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton, while dismissing the complaint, emphasized that the Justice Department failed to provide sufficient evidence or context for Boasberg’s alleged remarks, stating that “a recycling of unadorned allegations with no reference to a source does not corroborate them.” Sutton, appointed by President George W. Bush, underscored that even if the comments had been made, they did not stray from topics typically discussed in such judicial gatherings and wouldn't breach ethics rules.
This decision comes amidst ongoing discussions about judicial independence, as noted in Chief Justice Roberts' annual report which highlighted concerns regarding the security of judges and respect for court orders.
The Justice Department has not commented on the dismissal, and representatives of the district court stated that Judge Boasberg would not be making any remarks regarding the issue.
