A federal judge appointed by former President Ronald Reagan resigned from the bench to publicly criticize President Donald Trump’s use of the legal system for partisan purposes.
U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Massachusetts stepped down from his lifetime appointment, citing the need to speak freely outside judicial constraints. The judge accused Trump of weaponizing the law to target adversaries while protecting allies and donors from prosecution.
The Judge’s Statement
“My reason is simple: I no longer can bear to be restrained by what judges can say publicly or do outside the courtroom,” the judge wrote in his resignation announcement. “President Donald Trump is using the law for partisan purposes, targeting his adversaries while sparing his friends and donors from investigation, prosecution, and possible punishment.”
The judge emphasized his more than 50 years in the Department of Justice and on the bench shaped his commitment to impartial justice. “The White House’s assault on the rule of law is so deeply disturbing to me that I feel compelled to speak out. Silence, for me, is now intolerable,” he added.
His career began in 1974, shortly after the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation. The judge credited former Attorney General Edward Levi with instilling in him the principle that justice must be pursued without partisan consideration.
The Judge’s Vision
“I hope to be a spokesperson for embattled judges who, consistent with the code of conduct, feel they cannot speak candidly to the American people,” the judge told The New York Times about his plans following his resignation.
White House Response
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson rejected the judge’s characterization in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Judges who want to inject their own personal agenda into the law have no place on the bench,” Jackson said.
“And any other radical judges that want to complain to the press should at least have the decency to resign before doing so,” she added, appearing to reference the judge’s decision to step down before making his criticism public.
This story has been updated. CNN’s staff contributed to this report.
