Impeachment sought against federal judge over discipline case

Key Points:

• Two Republican congressmen from Georgia, Clay Fuller and Andrew Clyde, have introduced impeachment resolutions against U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross following an investigation into her misconduct, including having sex with a police officer in her chambers and lying to investigators.
• The investigation, initiated after a law clerk's complaint, confirmed Ross engaged in sexual activity with a high-ranking uniformed police officer in her office, attended a partisan political event, and initially denied the allegations.
• Ross received a private reprimand but faces potential impeachment, which requires action by the House Judiciary Committee; she was appointed to the Northern District of Georgia by President Obama in 2014.
• The Atlanta Police Department is investigating whether the involved police officer is a member of their force, while the 11th Circuit’s chief judge led the inquiry and appointed a special committee to review evidence including security footage and witness statements.
• The committee found insufficient supervision of clerks by Ross, who admitted to the extramarital relationship but denied mistreating staff, and noted the judge’s attendance at a political mixer linked to a district attorney’s victory party.