Chief Justice John Roberts’ Link to Rogue Judge Is Revealed

Chief Justice John Roberts is facing renewed scrutiny after his past connection to Chief Judge James E. “Jeb” Boasberg has come under the spotlight. Boasberg, who was appointed to the U.S. District Court by former President Barack Obama in 2011, was later tapped by Roberts in 2014 to serve on the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), which approved surveillance on President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

The connection has drawn sharp criticism, as Boasberg now finds himself at the center of an impeachment effort led by House Republicans. Boasberg, who currently serves as the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has been accused of judicial overreach in blocking President Trump’s deportation efforts.

On Tuesday, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) introduced articles of impeachment against him, accusing Boasberg of abusing his power to obstruct Trump’s lawful authority to enforce immigration laws. Gill’s resolution specifically charges Boasberg with interfering in the execution of the Alien Enemies Act, which gives the president broad powers to remove foreign nationals deemed a threat to national security.

The impeachment article states that Boasberg “usurped the role of the Executive and unilaterally took upon himself the power and authority of the President.”

In one of his most controversial rulings, Boasberg blocked deportation flights targeting Venezuelan gang members tied to the notorious Tren de Aragua, a designated terrorist organization. The resolution claims that his actions endangered American lives by preventing the removal of violent criminals.

Although Boasberg was first appointed to the federal bench by President Obama, it was Chief Justice John Roberts who placed him on the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) in 2014. He later served as the court’s presiding judge from 2020 to 2021, overseeing key surveillance requests, including rulings tied to the Trump-Russia investigation.

Boasberg’s time on the FISA Court has faced renewed scrutiny, particularly from Trump supporters who highlight his role in approving surveillance of Trump’s 2016 campaign associates. Critics argue this raises serious concerns about political bias within the judiciary, especially given the FBI’s later admission of critical errors in the FISA process.

Roberts, for his part, issued a rare public statement regarding Boasberg’s impeachment effort, cautioning against what he called the politicization of judicial removals.

“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose,” Roberts said in response to the push from House Republicans.

However, conservatives argue that this is more than just a policy dispute—it is about holding unelected judges accountable for undermining the will of the people.

“For the past several weeks, we’ve seen several rogue activist judges try to impede the president from exercising, not only the mandate voters gave him, but his democratic and constitutional authority to keep the American people safe,” Rep. Gill told Fox News on Tuesday. “This is another example of a rogue judge overstepping his…authority.”

The move to impeach Boasberg marks one of the most aggressive efforts yet to curb what Republicans see as an out-of-control judicial system. While judicial impeachments are rare, the resolution signals an increasing willingness among conservatives to challenge the judiciary’s unchecked power.