Judge’s Dramatic Resignation Masks Prior Judicial Inquiry

LAP President and Founder Aliza Shatzman spoke with Law 360 about a federal judge who resigned after publicly criticizing former President Donald Trump, a move widely framed as a principled stand. However, the judge’s resignation followed a judicial inquiry, raising concerns that stepping down from the bench can be used to evade accountability.

Shatzman added that this case underscores the urgent need for Congress to strengthen the judicial discipline system by ensuring that misconduct investigations continue even when judges leave the bench, so that accountability is not optional and transparency is not conditional, and emphasized that a judge’s resignation should not halt oversight or prevent transparency.