On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the Center to Advance Security in America (CASA), a conservative watchdog group, filed a judicial misconduct complaint with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit against U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper.
The complaint alleges that Judge Cooper engaged in judicial misconduct by presiding over a case involving President Donald J. Trump, despite his wife, Amy Jeffress, having significant financial and professional ties to legal actions against Trump.
The complaint stems from a lawsuit filed by Representative Joyce Beatty on December 22, 2025, challenging the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the Trump-Kennedy Center. Judge Cooper was assigned this case and, on May 29, 2026, issued a summary order permanently enjoining the renaming.
CASA asserts that Judge Cooper’s impartiality was compromised due to his wife, Amy Jeffress, who is described as a longtime Democratic attorney and the current personal attorney for former President Joseph R. Biden. The complaint highlights that Jeffress has represented numerous clients adverse to President Trump and has held government positions that involved actions against him, including serving as counsel to the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th protests. At the time of Judge Cooper’s order, Jeffress was reportedly representing former President Biden in an ongoing legal action against President Trump.
The complaint argues that Judge Cooper’s actions potentially violated several canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges. Specifically, it cites Canon 1, which mandates that a judge uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary, and Canon 2, which requires judges to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.
CASA contends that Judge Cooper should have recused himself from the Kennedy Center case because his wife’s professional activities and their shared financial interests were directly tied to legal battles against President Trump.
The watchdog group argues that the directness of the spousal relationship to legal challenges against President Trump compromises Judge Cooper’s independence as a jurist. CASA stated that even if actual impropriety could be segregated, the appearance of impropriety is sufficient grounds for concern, particularly when public confidence in the judiciary may be hampered.
The complaint further alleges that Canon 3, which requires judges to perform their duties fairly and impartially, was also potentially violated, as a judge should not be swayed by partisan interests or when a spouse’s interests could reasonably question impartiality.
CASA’s complaint concludes by requesting that Judge Cooper be investigated and, if found to have violated the cited canons, be disciplined by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
