Impeaching Eleanor L. Ross, Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Introduced June 8, 2026 · Last action June 8, 2026
Plain English Summary
This resolution calls for the impeachment of Eleanor L. Ross, a federal judge in Georgia's Northern District, on grounds that she engaged in sexual conduct in her courthouse chambers during business hours between October 2023 and October 2025, made false statements about this conduct to senior judges during an investigation, and thus committed high crimes and misdemeanors warranting removal from office.
Who benefits
The House of Representatives gains the procedural power to impeach; the Senate gains jurisdiction to hold a trial and vote on removal; the general federal judiciary system benefits from removal of a judge found to have engaged in serious misconduct and obstruction of investigation; attorneys and litigants in the Northern District of Georgia benefit from potential restoration of judicial integrity.
Who pays / loses
Judge Eleanor L. Ross faces removal from office, loss of her federal judgeship, and potential end to her judicial career if the Senate votes to convict and remove; the federal judiciary system bears reputational cost if the alleged misconduct is confirmed.
Funding & Lobbying Interests
No financial interests or lobbying groups have a stake in this impeachment resolution—it concerns judicial accountability rather than legislation creating economic benefits or imposing costs on industries. No donor information was provided.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
Judge Eleanor L. Ross herself; federal judges in the Eleventh Circuit and Northern District of Georgia; law clerks and judicial staff in the Northern District of Georgia courthouse; criminal defendants and prosecutors whose cases were presided over by Judge Ross during the period of alleged misconduct; the broader federal judiciary system and its institutional credibility.
Political Subtext
Proponents of this impeachment argue that a federal judge who engaged in sexual conduct in her chambers during business hours, then obstructed an investigation through false statements to senior judges, has violated the fundamental duty of judicial integrity and fitness for office required under Article III of the Constitution. Critics may argue about the sufficiency of the Special Committee's findings, the procedural fairness of the investigation, or whether the conduct, while serious, rises to the level of 'high crimes and misdemeanors' warranting removal. Non-partisan judicial ethics bodies and the federal courts' own Code of Conduct define sexual misconduct in chambers and obstruction of judicial investigations as severe violations. The Special Committee's investigation included documentary evidence (security footage, sign-in logs) and witness testimony from five former clerks before Judge Ross admitted her false statements.
Real-World Stakes
If impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate, Judge Ross would be removed from office, becoming unable to serve as a federal judge. This would terminate her lifetime appointment and bar her from federal judicial service. Federal judges have been impeached and removed in only 15 cases since 1789; the most recent successful removal was Judge Harry Claiborne in 1986 for tax evasion and perjury. If the impeachment fails to achieve a two-thirds Senate majority, Judge Ross would remain on the bench, though her judicial credibility would be permanently damaged. Cases she presided over during the period of alleged misconduct may face appellate challenges based on judicial impartiality concerns. The outcome will set precedent for how the federal judiciary and Congress handle judicial misconduct involving sexual conduct and obstruction of internal investigations.
Sponsor
Sponsor information not available.
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
No campaign finance data available yet.
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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