A federal appeals court has dismissed a misconduct complaint filed by the Department of Justice against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who previously clashed with President Donald Trump’s administration over high-profile deportations. The decision, first made on December 19 but revealed this weekend, was issued by Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, according to court documents.
The Justice Department’s complaint alleged that Judge Boasberg made improper comments during a March 2025 meeting of the Judicial Conference, reportedly telling Chief Justice John Roberts and others that the Trump administration could trigger a “constitutional crisis” by disregarding court rulings. This meeting occurred just days before Boasberg blocked deportation flights that were part of the administration’s policy to remove several Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act.
In his order, Sutton said the Justice Department failed to provide evidence or a reliable source for the alleged comments. He wrote, “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.” Sutton further explained that even if the comments were made, expressing concern over executive branch compliance with court orders would not violate judicial ethics, especially in a closed-door conference about judicial independence and inter-branch relations.
The misconduct complaint had been transferred from the D.C. Circuit to the Sixth Circuit due to potential conflicts. Judge Boasberg, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, declined to comment on the dismissal, and the Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Judge Boasberg has been the focus of recent political debate and impeachment inquiries related to his rulings on immigration and his involvement in authorizing warrants tied to former special counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” investigation. The White House and some congressional Republicans have voiced support for impeachment efforts against judges they describe as “activist,” but the appeals court’s decision closes this specific misconduct case.
At this time, there are no further pending charges or disciplinary actions against Judge Boasberg related to the complaint.
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