Overview
- Fix the Court submitted a complaint Wednesday alleging Judge Emil Bove violated judicial canons by attending President Trump’s rally-style speech in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania.
- Bove, a recent Trump appointee to the Third Circuit and the president’s former personal attorney, told a reporter he was “just here as a citizen coming to watch the president speak.”
- The complaint cites Canons 2 and 5 of the Code of Conduct, arguing Bove created an appearance of impropriety and engaged in political activity at a highly partisan event.
- Chief Judge Michael A. Chagares can dismiss the complaint or appoint a special committee to investigate, with potential outcomes ranging from censure to temporary reassignment of cases; only Congress can remove a judge.
- Reaction split along political lines, with watchdogs and some legal commentators calling it poor judgment and the White House defending his attendance, as Bove also faces scrutiny tied to earlier DOJ-related allegations.