In an appalling violation of the code of ethics, a sitting federal judge wrote a political hit piece in the New York Times publicly attacking conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.
US District Judge Michael Ponsor, a senior judge on the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts appointed by Bill Clinton criticized Alito while he’s deciding relevant pending cases.
The hit piece titled, “A Federal Judge Wonders: How Could Alito Have Been So Foolish?” was published on Friday and criticized Alito for flying an upside-down flag at his home after the 2020 presidential election.
“Regardless of its legality, displaying the flag in that way, at that time, shouldn’t have happened. To put it bluntly, any judge with reasonable ethical instincts would have realized immediately that flying the flag then and in that way was improper. And dumb,” Judge Ponsor wrote.
“Like the upside-down flag, this flag is viewed by a great many people as a banner of allegiance on partisan issues that are or could be before the court,” Judge Ponsor wrote.
“Flying those flags was tantamount to sticking a ‘Stop the steal’ bumper sticker on your car. You just don’t do it,” the judge said.
“Before Judge Ponsor publicly lectures a Supreme Court justice about ethics and recusal matters on pending cases, he should probably check his own ethics,” said Mike Davis, former Gorsuch clerk and president of The Article III Project.
“Canon 3A(6) of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges states: “A judge should not make public comment on the merits of a matter pending or impending in any court.”” – Davis said.
A sitting federal judge in Massachusetts appointed by Clinton took off his robe, climbed into the political arena, and wrote a political hit piece in the New York Times publicly criticizing Justice Alito while he’s deciding relevant pending cases.
Senior Judge Michael Ponsor… pic.twitter.com/cUApGRbblF
— Mike Davis (@mrddmia) May 25, 2024
In March US District Judge Reggie Walton went on CNN to speak publicly about pending legal matters.
Judge Walton, a Bush appointee, previously spoke with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about threats he has received after he called Trump a “charlatan” and rendered excessive punishment to J6 defendants.
“I’ve had more threats than what used to be the case,” the judge said referring to a January 6 case he oversaw.
Even Kaitlan Collins conceded that it is “rare that we get to hear from a sitting federal judge.”
Walton, a SITTING JUDGE, weighed in on Trump’s statements defending himself against Judge Merchan, his conflicted daughter Loren Merchan and the latest gag order.
“It’s very disconcerting to have someone making comments about a judge, and it’s particularly problematic when those comments are in the form of a threat, especially if they’re directed at one’s family,” Walton said. “We do these jobs because we’re committed to the rule of law and we believe in the rule of law, and the rule of law can only function effectively when we have judges who are prepared to carry out their duties without the threat of potential physical harm.”