WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court judge has dismissed a misconduct complaint filed against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg after he reportedly clashed with the Trump administration regarding its controversial deportation policies to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
The complaint was dismissed by Jeffrey S. Sutton, chief judge of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, on December 19, with details only emerging over the weekend. The allegations stemmed from comments allegedly made by Boasberg during a judicial conference in March 2025, where he warned that the administration could instigate a constitutional crisis by ignoring federal court rulings.
Shortly after those comments, Boasberg ordered a halt to deportation flights the Trump administration was conducting by invoking wartime authorities tied to an antiquated law. In his dismissal order, Sutton indicated that the Justice Department failed to attach any evidential proof of Boasberg's remarks, which he characterized as a recycled accusation lacking corroboration. He elaborated, A recycling of unadorned allegations with no reference to a source does not corroborate them. And a repetition of uncorroborated statements rarely supplies a basis for a valid misconduct complaint.”
Despite the nature of the comments made by Boasberg, Sutton noted they wouldn't have violated ethics guidelines, suggesting they aligned with broader discussions on judicial independence and security raised in Chief Justice Roberts’ 2024 year-end report.
The original misconduct complaint was addressed to U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Judge Sri Srinivasan, who subsequently transferred it to the 6th Circuit for consideration.
As of now, the Justice Department has not provided any comment on the ruling, while Boasberg has chosen to remain silent on the matter.
