Particle.news
Download on the App Store
8 ARTICLES
·
32m ago

Reagan-Appointed Judge Mark L. Wolf Resigns to Challenge President Trump’s Use of the Law

He says leaving the bench frees him to speak publicly against what he calls partisan abuses of prosecutorial power.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, center, stands with Prof. Frederick M. Lawrence, right, and U.S. District Court judge Mark Wolf, left, after speaking at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016. Ginsburg spoke as part of a series of events at Brandeis to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the nomination and appointment of Louis D. Brandeis to the U.S. Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Image
Image

Overview

  • Wolf announced his resignation in an op-ed published by The Atlantic on November 9, saying he no longer wants to be constrained by judicial ethics rules on public speech.
  • He accuses President Trump of using the law for partisan purposes, targeting adversaries while shielding friends and donors from investigation and punishment.
  • He says he will support litigation against the administration and advocate for judges who cannot speak publicly under ethics restrictions.
  • He cites a surge in threats to the judiciary, noting nearly 200 serious incidents from March to late May 2025 that he links to presidential attacks on the courts.
  • A veteran on the federal bench appointed by Ronald Reagan and a former chief judge in Massachusetts known for high-profile corruption cases, he had been serving in senior status with a successor already in place.