The Justice Department is demanding that a federal judge step aside from a high-profile Georgia election records fight after reports linked her to a judicial misconduct scandal — and to an event honoring embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
In a bombshell filing Friday, DOJ lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross to recuse herself from a lawsuit against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger over access to state voting records, arguing that her alleged attendance at a political event celebrating Willis creates the appearance of bias.
“A judge who attended a party celebrating the election of a Democrat best known for prosecuting a Republican President for alleged election interference cannot then preside over a case concerning that President’s efforts to ensure election integrity,” DOJ attorneys wrote.
The filing follows reports identifying Ross as the unnamed federal judge who received a private reprimand from the 11th Circuit earlier this year after investigators found the judge engaged in sexual activity with a high-ranking police officer inside courthouse chambers and later made false statements during the investigation. The court never publicly identified the judge, but the DOJ cited media reports linking Ross to the disciplinary matter.
Willis Connection Draws Fire
The Justice Department’s recusal request centers on findings that the judge attended an event connected to Willis’ campaign. According to reporting on the disciplinary investigation, the judge acknowledged attending a private mixer with former colleagues from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, but investigators concluded the gathering was part of a larger partisan political event sponsored by Willis’ campaign.
The connection is particularly sensitive because Ross previously worked in the Fulton County DA’s office, where she overlapped with Willis before either woman rose to national prominence.
Ross is currently overseeing the DOJ’s legal battle with Raffensperger over access to Georgia voter records. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, though the Justice Department has asked that it be delayed pending the recusal fight.
The Long Trump-Willis War
The dispute lands in the middle of one of the most explosive political feuds in America.
Willis became a national figure in 2023 when she indicted Donald Trump and 18 allies under Georgia’s racketeering law, accusing them of participating in a scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. Trump repeatedly blasted the case as politically motivated and vowed to fight it.
But the prosecution later unraveled after revelations that Willis had a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she had appointed to lead the case. A Georgia appeals court ultimately removed Willis from the prosecution, citing an “appearance of impropriety.” The case was later dropped, marking a major victory for Trump.
The fallout didn’t end there. Willis also faced court sanctions in separate records disputes, with judges criticizing her office’s handling of public records requests and ordering payments of attorneys’ fees.
Now, the Trump Justice Department is arguing that any judge linked to a political event celebrating Willis cannot fairly oversee litigation tied to election integrity issues stemming from the same broader political battle.
The election records lawsuit itself is part of a broader push by the administration to obtain voter-registration and election materials from multiple states. Georgia officials have argued that portions of the voter data sought by federal officials are protected under state law and cannot be released without satisfying legal requirements.
Whether Ross remains on the case could now become the next flashpoint in the years-long legal war between Trump and the Georgia officials who helped drive the investigations into his efforts to challenge the 2020 election.
