A Reagan-appointed federal judge resigned from the bench to speak openly against President Donald Trump’s use of law for partisan purposes.
Mark Wolf, who served as U.S. District Court judge for the District of Massachusetts after his 1985 Reagan appointment, announced his resignation in an essay published in The Atlantic. Wolf said he relinquished his lifetime judicial position to address what he views as threats to the independence of the judiciary.
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,” Wolf wrote in The Atlantic. “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.”
Wolf began his career at the Department of Justice in 1974, following the Watergate scandal that ended President Richard Nixon’s term. He credited former Attorney General Edward Levi during the Ford administration with shaping his commitment to nonpartisan justice and the rule of law.
“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,” Wolf told The New York Times.
White House Response
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson rejected Wolf’s criticism 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.
Jackson pointed to the Trump administration’s legal record as evidence of lawful governance. “With over 20 Supreme Court victories, the Trump Administration’s policies have been consistently upheld by the Supreme Court as lawful despite an unprecedented number of legal challenges and unlawful lower court rulings,” she said.
Jackson added that judges should resign before making public complaints. “Any other radical judges that want to complain to the press should at least have the decency to resign before doing so,” she stated.
Background
Wolf assumed senior status in 2013, and Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, was nominated and confirmed to fill his seat in 2014. His resignation timing comes months ahead of the midterm elections.
This story has been updated. CNN’s Digital Team contributed to this report.
