The Judicial Council for the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has dismissed an ethics complaint filed by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) against US District Court Judge Beryl Howell of the District of Columbia.
The complaint, announced by Stefanik in December 2023, stemmed from remarks Howell made during a speech at a November 2023 event hosted by the Women’s White Collar Defense Association, where she was receiving an award.
In her speech, Howell referenced the impact of “big lies” on defendants involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, noting that she and other judges frequently observe the consequences of such falsehoods during sentencing hearings. She also highlighted a concerning trend where the significance of facts is overlooked or disregarded. Howell did not mention any specific politicians, including President Donald Trump, in her remarks.
The Tenth Circuit’s Chief Judge Jerome A. Holmes, in a decision posted on July 21, 2025, ruled that Howell’s comments did not violate judicial ethics. He stated that her remarks did not undermine her impartiality or warrant disqualification. Holmes noted that Howell’s perspective aligned with observations she and other judges had previously expressed in open court during cases related to the Capitol riot. He further emphasized that the speech was delivered at a law-related event, not a political one, and did not reference contemporary political figures.
The complaint originated within the Washington federal judiciary but was transferred to the Tenth Circuit for review. Stefanik had described Howell’s speech as “highly inappropriate” and claimed it constituted election interference, arguing it eroded public confidence in the judiciary.
The filing process for the complaint faced procedural issues, with Stefanik and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) asserting that they had submitted the complaint multiple times via mail and hand delivery. The US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, led by Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan, responded that Stefanik’s office was notified several times about missing materials, and the complete submission was not received until months later.
Judge Howell has presided over numerous criminal cases tied to the January 6 Capitol attack. She also oversaw grand jury proceedings related to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into President Trump’s actions to challenge the 2020 election results and his handling of classified documents after leaving office. Additionally, Howell oversaw grand jury proceedings for former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
