Senators ask chief judge on DC Circuit to suspend James Boasberg pending House impeachment vote.
A group of Senate Republicans led by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) is pressing the federal judiciary to sideline James Boasberg of the District Court of Columbia while the House of Representatives considers his impeachment.
The Republicans argue in a new letter that Boasbergs handling of matters involving the FBI's pursuit of lawmakers' phone records and other matters has “undermined confidence” in the courts and requires immediate intervention.
The list of alleged wrongdoings by Boasberg include his participation in the " Arctic Frost " scandal along with many other complaints of judicial malpractice and corruption.
The senators cite precedent for such a move. Former Louisiana federal judge G. Thomas Porteous, who died in 2021, was administratively suspended during an impeachment inquiry while the Judicial Conference probed allegations of bribery and fraud.
The push to suspend Boasberg comes after weeks of escalating disclosures about "Arctic Frost." Lawmakers have expressed outrage after the release of FBI files revealing that Jack Smith’s team issued 197 subpoenas targeting more than 430 Republican figures, organizations, and donors in what GOP lawmakers now call one of the most politically intrusive spying expeditions in modern history. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), whose phone metadata was among the records sought, has accused Boasberg of “abusing his power” by finding without evidence that GOP senators may destroy records if notified of the subpoenas.
