In a move that ignites the long-smoldering tension between the Trump-era Justice Department and the federal judiciary, a formal misconduct complaint has been filed against Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg — the very judge who recently threatened disciplinary action against department lawyers over controversial deportations.
The complaint, announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi in a post on X, comes just days after Boasberg signaled he may sanction government attorneys for their role in the secretive removal of Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador. The flights, executed in March during ongoing emergency court hearings, had prompted Boasberg to accuse the administration of acting in “bad faith.”
But this new escalation goes beyond courtroom tactics — it cuts to the core of judicial independence.
According to the complaint reviewed by Reuters, the Justice Department zeroed in on remarks Boasberg allegedly made during a March meeting of the federal judiciary’s policymaking body — a closed-door session also attended by Chief Justice John Roberts. Boasberg reportedly warned that the Trump administration might ignore court rulings and plunge the nation into a constitutional crisis.
The DOJ contends those comments crossed an ethical line, undermining judicial impartiality and compromising the bench’s credibility. It further accuses Boasberg of letting those concerns shape his rulings — including an order halting the president’s attempt to use wartime powers to deport Venezuelan migrants under the obscure Alien Enemies Act.
Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle, representing the Justice Department, submitted the misconduct complaint to Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan of the D.C. Circuit, urging the court to appoint a special investigative committee and reassign the deportation case to another judge.
Boasberg’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
A political and legal flashpoint in his own right, Boasberg was originally appointed to the D.C. Superior Court by President George W. Bush in 2002, then elevated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama in 2011. His record straddles administrations, but his rulings have often drawn ire from conservative corners, especially in immigration-related cases.
In April, Boasberg went so far as to declare “probable cause” for criminal contempt against the Trump administration for violating his direct orders to reverse the deportation flights — an extraordinary rebuke. Although that contempt ruling was quickly paused by the D.C. Circuit, it remains under review.
Now, the judge who once warned of a looming constitutional crisis finds himself at the center of one.
