US Justice Department seeks Judge Ross recusal in Georgia election case
The US Department of Justice has formally asked Judge Eleanor Ross of the Northern District of Georgia to step aside from the high-profile Georgia election-fraud case, citing recent reports that she was internally disciplined. The DOJ argues that the appearance of impartiality has been compromised. The judge must respond this week.
The US Department of Justice has formally asked Judge Eleanor Ross of the Northern District of Georgia to step aside from a high-profile election-fraud case, citing recent reporting by CNBC that she had been internally disciplined. Prosecutors argue the appearance of impartiality has been compromised. The case represents the first federal-court treatment of allegations that have followed the 2020 US presidential election.
A DOJ spokesperson stressed that the motion does not allege actual bias but rather seeks to protect 'the appearance of judicial neutrality'. The prosecution agenda includes campaign-finance violations and alleged interference with election administration. The White House and the Trump campaign committee have so far declined to comment on the move.
Judge Ross's attorney said there is 'no underlying disciplinary order on the public record'. Stephen Vladeck of the University of Texas, a leading federal-courts scholar, noted that public disclosure of internal court-discipline records is unusual at the federal level and that the matter sets a notable precedent. If the DOJ motion is denied, an appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals is expected.
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