A federal judge in Georgia has apologized to a former law clerk for “unprofessional behavior” following allegations of sexual activity with a police officer in her office.
U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross from the Northern District of Georgia admitted her actions in a letter, acknowledging previous apologies were inadequate.
“You deserved better than to have your experience marred by my own offensive conflict,” Ross wrote. “My actions were patently wrong, and there is no excuse.”
Following the investigation, two House Republicans from Georgia, Andrew Clyde and Clay Fuller, filed articles of impeachment against Ross. They argue she displayed a lack of integrity and impartiality, engaging in misconduct with Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Kelley Collier in her chambers.
Both Clyde and Fuller emphasized the need for judges to exhibit integrity, professionalism, and accountability. Ross, nominated by former President Barack Obama in 2014, provided false statements during an internal inquiry and was reprimanded for misconduct.
The inquiry revealed Ross attended a partisan event and lied about it, along with failing to supervise clerks properly and using offensive language with staff. The investigation led to private reprimand and an agreement from Ross not to seek a district chief judge position.
Clyde filed multiple articles of impeachment, accusing Ross of sexual misconduct and attending a political event before overseeing a proceeding. He asserts these actions have no place within the judiciary.
Supporting Clyde’s articles are several co-sponsors, including Lauren Boebert and Paul Gosar. Fuller also filed impeachment resolutions, citing Ross’ inappropriate relationship while handling criminal cases.
Investigative reports noted Ross attended a campaign event and later admitted to drinking excessively. Moreover, accusations of false statements and obstruction during the inquiry were raised in the impeachment resolutions.
Despite retracting false statements only after evidence emerged, Ross maintains her apologies aim to prevent future issues. The House Judiciary Committee is set to decide on the necessity of impeachment proceedings.