Appeals Court Dismisses DOJ Misconduct Complaint Against Boasberg

Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the Justice Department's judicial misconduct complaint against Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in a newly released order dated Dec. 19, according to the order.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the complaint in July after Boasberg in April concluded the administration appeared to have acted "in bad faith" when it hurriedly assembled three deportation flights on March 15, records show.

The Justice Department alleged comments attributed to Boasberg at a closed Judicial Conference meeting included a warning to Chief U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts that the administration might trigger "a constitutional crisis," the department said.

Chief U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts transferred the complaint to the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit Judicial Council because of potential conflicts among judges in Washington, D.C., according to court filings.

Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote that the Justice Department lacked proof the statements were made and that, even if true, the remarks would not violate the Codes of Judicial Conduct, and the Justice Department has not said whether it will seek further review.