Impeachment Resolution Against Federal Judge in Georgia

Two Republican representatives from Georgia have moved to impeach an Atlanta federal judge after an investigation into her conduct. The inquiry found that the judge engaged in a sexual relationship with a police officer in her chambers, participated in a political event, and was dishonest with investigators looking into these allegations.

U.S. Representatives Clay Fuller and Andrew Clyde put forth the resolution targeting U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross.

On social media, Clyde expressed his concerns, stating that Ross’ “extremely disturbing actions” reveal her lack of integrity and impartiality. He firmly believes she should be impeached.

The decision about whether to initiate impeachment proceedings against Ross now falls to the House Judiciary Committee.

Federal judges hold their positions for life but can only be removed through impeachment.

When contacted, the judge’s office declined to comment on the situation.

Ross was nominated by former President Barack Obama in January 2014 and confirmed by the Senate later that year. Before her federal appointment, she served as a state court judge in DeKalb County, Georgia, beginning in 2011.

Prior to becoming a judge, Ross had over ten years of experience as both a state and federal prosecutor, predominantly in the Atlanta area.

The investigation into Ross was initiated after a law clerk reported that the judge was involved in sexual acts with a senior police officer in her office, with staff members nearby.

It’s been suggested that Ross didn’t adequately supervise her clerks and even verbally lashed out at a staff member during an incident.

Following the investigation, she received a “personal reprimand” which confirmed the sexual activity and her attendance at a political event. Initially, she denied the allegations.

The 11th Circuit court does not reveal the specific locations of its judges. However, an anonymous source confirmed to the Associated Press that Judge Ross was the one in question.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Police Department has started its own investigation to see if the police officer involved is one of their employees.

The Chief Judge of the 11th Circuit, William Pryor, began an inquiry into Ross and asked her to respond to the allegations made by the law clerk. Her immediate response was a complete denial of each claim.

In a follow-up email, she speculated that the law clerk might have fabricated the accusations in retaliation for having to work in her office.

A special committee was assigned to investigate further. In their findings, they reviewed records and security footage, which indicated that the police officer frequently visited the judge during lunchtime.

Several clerks reported seeing someone matching the officer’s description, with a few mentioning that they might have overheard sexual activity in the judge’s chambers.

During the investigation, some clerks described an “eggshell culture” among the judges, though no direct evidence of abuse was discovered.

Ultimately, while Ross acknowledged her extramarital relationship with the police officer, she refuted the claims of mistreatment towards her employees.

She also admitted to attending a gathering for former district attorney employees, clarifying that it took place in a different room from the victory party she had mentioned.