Federal Judiciary and Judicial Impeachment

A senior Justice Department official, Associate Deputy Attorney General Aakash Singh, recently told U.S. attorneys in a nationwide virtual meeting to compile examples of problematic conduct by federal judges that could be used to assess whether DOJ should refer those judges to Congress for impeachment, Fox News reports. A DOJ spokesperson confirmed the request, accusing 'rogue' judges of 'unprecedented judicial activism' and 'obstruction' and saying the department is gathering the 'most egregious' cases to 'assist Congress' in exercising its constitutional oversight of the judiciary. Any referrals would go to the Republican‑led House, which has already seen calls from some members to impeach Obama‑appointed Judge James Boasberg over immigration rulings and Judge Deborah Boardman for handing down what they view as a lenient eight‑year sentence in the Brett Kavanaugh attempted‑assassination case. Historically, the House has impeached only 15 federal judges, generally for corruption or serious crimes, making an executive‑driven campaign to target judges over their rulings a major escalation in the Trump administration’s long‑running fight with the courts, particularly over immigration enforcement. Legal analysts and many judges have warned in other forums that sustained attacks on 'activist' courts, if coupled with impeachment threats from the executive branch, could chill judicial independence and further politicize federal decision‑making.