Minnesota federal judges face DOJ misconduct complaint

judicial misconduct Department of Justice Minnesota federal judges immigration enforcement Operation Metro Surge

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a judicial misconduct complaint against nearly all active federal district judges in Minnesota. The complaint follows interviews given by several judges to The New York Times regarding the impact of Operation Metro Surge, a recent immigration enforcement crackdown in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

Attorney General Todd Blanche alleged that the judges' comments were partisan, unethical, and demonstrated an “obvious bias” against the Department of Homeland Security. The DOJ is requesting that the judges recuse themselves from all cases involving the Department of Homeland Security and has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to appoint a special committee to investigate the conduct.

One of the named judges, Patrick Schiltz, defended the decision to speak with the media, stating that his actions were “well within the ethical rules” and that he was advocating for the rule of law. A spokesperson for the Minnesota federal court system also noted that legal experts found the judges' conduct to be within ethical guidelines.

Entities

8th Circuit Court of Appeals · Department of Homeland Security · Department of Justice · John Tunheim · Minnesota · Patrick Schiltz · Todd Blanche

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] The misconduct complaint targets all but one active federal district judge in Minnesota. www.ntd.com · www.cbsnews.com · freerepublic.com
[● 24 SOURCES] The DOJ alleges the judges' comments to the media were partisan and showed bias against the Department of Homeland Security. kioncentralcoast.com · www.ntd.com · justthenews.com · keyt.com · laopinion.com · +18 more
[● 24 SOURCES] The DOJ is demanding that the judges recuse themselves from all cases involving the Department of Homeland Security. justthenews.com · kioncentralcoast.com · www.ntd.com · www.cbsnews.com · laopinion.com · +18 more
[● 21 SOURCES] The complaint was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. justthenews.com · www.ntd.com · www.cbsnews.com · bahamasspectator.com · haitigazette.com · +15 more
[● 2 SOURCES] The DOJ has requested the appointment of a special committee to investigate the judges' conduct. www.ntd.com · justthenews.com
[● 21 SOURCES] Judge Patrick Schiltz stated he was acting within ethical rules when speaking to the media. www.mediaite.com · www.ntd.com · www.bangordailynews.com · pjmedia.com · bahamasspectator.com · +15 more
[● 24 SOURCES] The Department of Justice filed a judicial misconduct complaint against federal judges in Minnesota. justthenews.com · kioncentralcoast.com · www.ntd.com · www.cbsnews.com · www.latimes.com · +18 more
[● 24 SOURCES] Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the filing of the complaint. justthenews.com · kioncentralcoast.com · www.ntd.com · www.cbsnews.com · www.latimes.com · +18 more