U.S. Judge Faces Ethics Complaint Over Alleged Political Bias Against Trump Administration

By James Morley III | Saturday, 08 November 2025 06:42 PM EST

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg is under scrutiny after an ethics complaint accused him of political bias against the former administration of President Donald Trump, according to reports. Boasberg, appointed by former President Barack Obama, is alleged to have approved subpoenas targeting Republican senators and allies of Trump.

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, disclosed that Boasberg authorized a nondisclosure order in 2023 that prevented nearly a dozen GOP members of Congress from learning their cellphone records had been accessed by the Justice Department under President Joe Biden. The complaint, submitted by the Center to Advance Security in America (CASA), stated, “Judge Boasberg enabled certain facets of what may be one of the biggest scandals in the history of the country.”

The document criticized the use of the Department of Justice to surveil political opponents, arguing it violated constitutional rights and deprived the American public of transparency. The complaint was sent to Spencer Hallet, court executive for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Special counsel Jack Smith subpoenaed lawmakers’ phone records as part of the Arctic Frost investigation, seeking call and message data from Jan. 4-7, 2021. CASA Director James Fitzpatrick claimed Boasberg’s approval of Smith’s order could constitute a “constitutional violation.” The group describes itself as a “nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the safety of the American people.”

Fitzpatrick urged immediate investigation into Boasberg and disciplinary action if judicial canons were breached. Boasberg has faced multiple ethical inquiries recently, with allegations of anti-Trump bias. Earlier in the week, Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, filed articles of impeachment against him, accusing him of “failing to appreciate basic statute” and enabling “legal inquiries that violate the law.”

A memo obtained by The Federalist revealed Boasberg told Chief Justice John Roberts during a March Judicial Conference meeting that judges feared the Trump administration would disregard court rulings, risking a constitutional crisis. The statement reportedly ignored the legal principle of “presumption of regularity,” which assumes public officials fulfill their duties properly.

Days after the conference, Boasberg blocked the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, a measure aimed at expediting deportations of Venezuelan gang members. The Supreme Court later overturned that ruling in a 5-4 decision. Critics argue these actions reflect a pattern of bias by Boasberg and other Washington, D.C., judges against the Trump administration.