The U.S. Department of Justice has intensified its scrutiny of the judiciary by filing a formal misconduct complaint against one of President Donald Trump’s least-favorite federal judges.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said on July 28 that she directed her agency to file the grievance because James Boasberg, the 62-year-old chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, made “improper public comments about President Trump and his Administration” in March.
“These comments have undermined the integrity of the judiciary, and we will not stand for that,” Bondi wrote on X.
Boasberg is the judge who initially blocked the deportation flights of hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members the Trump administration carried out under the Alien Enemies Act. When the administration ignored his order to bring the flights back, Boasberg began contempt proceedings, which were later halted by an appeals court. The Supreme Court eventually vacated the temporary ban on the deportations.
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President Donald Trump said on social media in March that Boasberg was a “Radical Left Lunatic” and called for his impeachment. John Roberts, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, intervened, issuing a rare public statement that said in part: “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”
Read more: Chief Justice John Roberts rebukes Trump after president calls for judge’s impeachment
In Bondi’s complaint, Chad Mizelle, her chief of staff, accused Boasberg of attempting to improperly influence Roberts and other judges during a conference on March 11.
Mizelle said that Boasberg expressed concerns about the Trump administration disregarding federal court rulings, and those alleged remarks violated rules that judges have to follow about not discussing pending cases in public.
Then-President George W. Bush first nominated Boasberg in 2002 to serve on the primary trial court for Washington, D.C. Boasberg advanced to the federal bench in 2011 thanks to a lifetime appointment from then-President Barack Obama.
An assistant to Boasberg declined to comment.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump DOJ targets judge who blocked deportations
