Two congressional Republicans from Georgia, Clay Fuller and Andrew Clyde, have filed impeachment resolutions targeting U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross. This action came after a probe revealed misconduct which included having a sexual relationship with a police officer in her office, participating in a political event, and lying during the investigation. Clyde announced on social media that Ross’ actions make her unfit for her position, stressing the need for her impeachment and removal from the judiciary. The decision to initiate impeachment proceedings rests with the House Judiciary Committee.
Federal judges hold lifetime appointments and can only be removed by impeachment. Currently, no formal comment has come from Judge Ross regarding the resolutions. She was nominated to the Northern District of Georgia by President Barack Obama in 2014 and confirmed in the same year. Her career prior to the federal bench included being a state court judge in DeKalb County and serving as a prosecutor in Atlanta for over ten years.
The investigation began after a law clerk reported that Judge Ross engaged in sexual activity with a police officer within her office. The allegation included claims of poor management of clerks and unprofessional behavior in the workplace. Following the investigation, Ross received a private reprimand for the sexual misconduct and her attendance at a political event, along with initially providing false statements.
The interaction reportedly took place within earshot of staff, and security footage corroborated frequent visits by the officer in uniform. Six clerks observed the officer, with some recalling sounds that implied sexual activity. Despite this evidence, the investigation did not find compelling proof of abusive behavior by Ross. She eventually confessed to the extramarital relationship but contested claims of maltreating her staff. The judge also acknowledged attending a social gathering of former district attorney employees, though she denied it was politically motivated.
The Atlanta Police Department has initiated its own investigation to ascertain if the involved officer is part of their team. This move follows Chief Judge William Pryor of the 11th Circuit’s initial investigation into Ross, which was sparked by the law clerk’s allegations. Despite denying the accusations in her initial response, further examination led to Ross’ admittance of the relationship.