House Freedom Caucus Supports Impeachment of Judge Boasberg
The House Freedom Caucus is backing a fellow member who is advocating for the impeachment of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg.
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) put forward an impeachment resolution against Boasberg last month, raising concerns over the judge’s involvement in former special counsel Jack Smith’s inquiry into President Trump and the 2020 election, known as “Arctic Frost.”
Gill contends that Boasberg exhibited blatant partisanship when he approved subpoenas and gag orders tied to the investigation, which included requests for phone records from some Republican Congress members. This information came to light through documents released this year by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
However, there’s uncertainty about whether this impeachment effort will gain sufficient traction to pressure House Republican leadership.
“This absolutely needs to be done,” stated House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.) in a recent conversation. “I think this is a level above and beyond what we thought was happening. His bias is so obvious that there should be no place in the federal judiciary for someone with that kind of bias,” he added.
Yet, Harris indicated that it might not be a priority for conservative factions to push House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) on this issue anytime soon. When asked if she’d discuss it with House leadership, she noted, “No, there are other issues. I’m focused on the fiscal issue right now.” Still, she confirmed that discussions are ongoing and that there’s considerable support for the judge’s impeachment.
Despite this, members of the Conservative Party seem generally supportive of the initiative. Chip Roy (R-Texas), the House Freedom Caucus Policy Chairman, expressed, “I think there’s quite a bit of movement going on here, especially given the Arctic frost origins… We have significant concerns that judges are fabricating facts out of thin air, based on unfounded motives.”
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a gubernatorial candidate in South Carolina, shared his hope that the impeachment effort would be stronger this time around. “I hope so,” he said.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) highlighted that conservative voices during the Trump era were among the first to demand the impeachment of judges perceived to be excessively partisan. He affirmed, “I think many of these judges went too far and violated their oaths. I stand by that, yes,” but when questioned about the likelihood of actual results, he responded cautiously, “Talk is cheap.”
Gill had joined several House Freedom Caucus members in proposing the impeachment resolution following Boasberg’s temporary order halting Trump’s deportation flights to El Salvador this spring. Despite this push, Johnson previously cautioned Republicans that impeachment isn’t the most practical way to deal with “corrupt judges,” mentioning that Senate support for such a move isn’t any more realistic.
Instead, House Republican leaders have supported a bill from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) aimed at curbing the power of district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions. It passed the House in early April, but the Senate hasn’t yet considered it.
Issa acknowledged the need to approach impeachment thoughtfully when interviewed last week. “We have a lot of corrupt judges in our country. With so many witnessing misconduct, both the House and the Senate need to conduct proper hearings and determine what constitutes good conduct, not just for one judge, but for multiple judges,” he advised.
Issa mentioned he’s “considering” holding hearings on this topic once lawmakers reconvene after Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, the U.S. court system declined to comment on the matter when approached.
