On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Courthouse News Service reported that Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to publicly release the findings of a misconduct complaint against Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. The request comes amid renewed impeachment threats from congressional Republicans against Boasberg, a judge often at odds with the Trump administration.

The initial complaint against Boasberg was filed over the summer, alleging that he made inappropriate public statements about President Donald Trump. Republicans have since seized upon this complaint, claiming that Boasberg, an appointee of Barack Obama, is a political activist using his judicial position to undermine the Trump administration.

In a letter to Bondi, Whitehouse defended Boasberg, asserting that the misconduct complaint is “unfounded and without merit.” He suggested that the complaint is part of a campaign to harass and threaten Boasberg as he investigates potential contempt of court by the Justice Department.

The Justice Department’s complaint, submitted to the U.S. Judicial Conference in July, argues that Boasberg compromised the judiciary’s integrity and impartiality through his comments regarding the Trump administration’s potential disregard for court orders. The agency stated that Boasberg’s comments were particularly egregious because the Trump administration has consistently complied with court orders.

While the complaint’s text is public, the resolution status remains unclear. Whitehouse noted that the Justice Department would receive a copy of any resolution from the Judicial Conference. He urged Bondi to disclose the complaint’s results as soon as they are available.

Whitehouse cautioned that if the complaint is dismissed or results in a finding of no misconduct, its continued use as a rhetorical tool against Boasberg would be improper and unfounded.

The Justice Department has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Republican lawmakers have recently intensified their efforts to impeach Boasberg and other federal judges they accuse of abusing their positions to rule against the Trump administration.

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this month, Texas Senator Ted Cruz argued that Boasberg and Maryland-based U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman meet the criteria for impeachment and removal from office. Republicans cited the Justice Department’s complaint against Boasberg, as well as reports that he allowed special counsel Jack Smith to conceal efforts to obtain phone records of sitting senators during the 2020 election interference probe, as evidence of misconduct.

Whitehouse countered that his Republican colleagues were encouraging threats against Boasberg at a time when threats against federal judges are already increasing.

While Congress has the constitutional authority to impeach federal judges, it has been used sparingly. Historically, only a few judges have been successfully removed from office, primarily for criminal activity.

The second Trump administration’s Republican leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, has generally been hesitant to use impeachment as a tool against judges perceived as politically biased. Johnson has favored legislative solutions, such as a bill to limit nationwide injunctions, as a means to address concerns about “activist” judges.

However, Cruz expressed confidence that impeachment efforts against Boasberg and Boardman would proceed through the House and reach a Senate trial, stating that their conduct was “the most indefensible” and a clear violation of their oath of office. He did not comment on whether Johnson’s stance on judicial impeachments had changed.

Amid earlier discussions of judicial impeachments, the Supreme Court issued a rare public statement, with Chief Justice John Roberts stating that impeachments were not an “appropriate response” to judicial rulings with which Congress disagrees.

 

 

Source: Courthouse News Service