A federal judge in the US, who faced disciplinary action for engaging in a sexual relationship with a police officer in her chambers and subsequently lying about it, has issued an apology for her inappropriate and unprofessional conduct.
Following an investigation initiated by the chief judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit, it was revealed that US District Judge Eleanor Ross had participated in sexual activities with a high-ranking uniformed police officer within the courthouse premises and had also attended a partisan political gathering. Initially, Ross denied the accusations when confronted.
In a recent letter addressed to a former law clerk and obtained by The Associated Press, Ross acknowledged the wrongdoing of her actions, stating that there was no justification for her behavior. She expressed regret for tarnishing the clerk’s experience with her offensive conduct.
Appointed to the Northern District of Georgia bench in 2014 by then-President Barack Obama, Ross received a private reprimand after an investigation substantiated the claims against her. As part of the disciplinary measures, she agreed not to vie for the position of chief judge of the district and to issue letters of apology to six former clerks.
The probe was initiated by William Pryor, the chief judge of the 11th Circuit, following a report from one of Ross’s law clerks detailing the sexual encounters with a senior police officer during office hours. Allegations of inadequate supervision of staff and instances of verbal abuse towards employees were also raised.
Subsequent investigations conducted by a special committee appointed by Pryor revealed evidence of frequent visits by the officer to Ross’s chambers during lunchtime, as witnessed by clerks through security footage. The committee noted that Ross failed to provide sufficient guidance to clerks and rarely edited civil orders drafted by them, creating a tense work environment.
While Ross admitted to the extramarital relationship with the officer, she denied mistreating staff members. She acknowledged attending a social gathering with former colleagues but maintained it was held separately from the political event in question.
In her letter to the clerk, Ross expressed remorse for her actions and pledged to take preventative measures to avoid similar incidents in the future. Despite federal judges being appointed for life and removable only through impeachment, two Georgia congressmen have introduced impeachment resolutions against Ross, leaving the decision in the hands of the House Judiciary Committee.