U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Georgia Republican, followed through on an earlier vow by filing articles of impeachment Monday against Rhode Island’s top federal judge, John J. McConnell Jr.
Clyde makes two claims in his filing, the latest in a long line of conservative criticism against McConnell, who was a Democratic fundraiser and activist before being nominated to the federal bench by President Obama in 2011.
Elon Musk called last month for McConnell’s impeachment, and Clyde said he would pursue that effort.
Last week, Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court responded to President Trump’s remarks about impeaching a different judge by saying those who dislike a ruling should appeal it, rather than seek the ouster of the judge who made it.
In the first claim, Clyde alleges abuse of power due to how McConnell “prioritized his own political views and beliefs over his duty of impartiality” while handling a recent multi-state lawsuit aimed at stopping the Trump administration’s freeze of billions of federal dollars appropriated to states.
Clyde’s second claim is that McConnell had a conflict of interest when he used a temporary restraining order to block the Trump funding freeze since he serves on the board of the anti-homelessness nonprofit Crossroads Rhode Island, which receives federal funds.
A Crossroads spokesman, Mike Raia, said McConnell stepped down from the agency’s board in early 2024 “well before the current administration took office and these cases were decided.” McConnell, like previous board chairs before him, retains the title of “chair emeritus,” Raia said.
McConnell did not respond to an attempt to reach him through the U.S. District Court in Providence.
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner, a Democrat, said, “Representative Clyde’s impeachment bill appears to be motivated by politics and not the Constitution. Under our system of government, if a party to a district court believes the judge’s ruling is incorrect, the proper remedy is to appeal the ruling to a higher court, not to attempt to impeach the judge.”
U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo, also a Democrat, said, “Judges should interpret the law without fear of reprisal or political retribution. Those who disagree with a ruling should file an appeal, not sham resolutions with articles of impeachment. An independent judiciary is a cornerstone of our democratic system — I oppose any effort to drag federal judges into the hyperpartisan mud.”
A majority vote in the U.S. House and a two-thirds vote in the U.S. Senate is required to impeach a judge.
