Reps. Clay Fuller (R-GA) and Andrew Clyde (R-GA) have filed articles of impeachment against a federal judge in Atlanta who allegedly had sex with a high-ranking police officer in her court chambers within earshot of staff.
U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross, a nominee of former President Barack Obama, has been identified as the judge accused of sexual misconduct.
A judicial investigation uncovered that the improper sexual activity happened multiple times after a law clerk in Ross’s office brought the claim before the court. When approached with the law clerk’s allegations, Ross denied each one. She was found to have lied. The investigation was led by William Pryor Jr., chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
Following the investigation, Congress is now getting involved. The two Georgia Republicans believe she should be forced from the Atlanta-based federal court, a far more severe punishment than a reprimand by the court.
“Her deeply disturbing actions prove she is incapable of displaying integrity or impartiality,” Clyde posted Tuesday on X. “She must be impeached and removed from the bench.”
Fuller did not release a comparable statement on social media.
The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), must decide whether to start impeachment proceedings against Ross. Federal judges can only be removed from their duties through the impeachment process conducted by Congress.
Ross also allegedly attended a partisan event in honor of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who unsuccessfully prosecuted President Donald Trump for alleged interference in the 2020 election. The event took place in 2024 as Willis ran for a second term. The well-known Democratic district attorney won her reelection bid that year.
The Justice Department recently asked Ross to recuse herself in a Georgia election records case, citing her connection to Willis as an example of possible bias in the case.
“A judge who attended a party celebrating the election of a Democrat best known for prosecuting a Republican President for alleged election interference cannot then preside over a case concerning that President’s efforts to ensure election integrity,” the DOJ said in the court filing signed by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon.
DOJ REQUESTS RECUSAL OF GEORGIA ELECTION CASE JUDGE OVER MISCONDUCT SCANDAL
The department is suing Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, to obtain access to the state’s voter rolls.
The DOJ noted Ross’s “improper sexual activity in chambers with a law enforcement officer” and her “lack of candor” in the filing but specified that they were not the subject of the recusal request. The government asked Ross to rule on the motion concerning her alleged misconduct by Friday.