A Reagan-appointed judge, Mark Wolf, announced that he has resigned from his position so he could be free to condemn the actions of President Donald Trump.
In an opinion piece published in The Atlantic, Wolf wrote he “no longer can bear to be restrained by what judges can say publicly or do outside the courtroom. President Donald Trump is using the law for partisan purposes, targeting his adversaries while sparing his friends and donors from investigation, prosecution, and possible punishment.”
“This is contrary to everything that I have stood for in my more than 50 years in the Department of Justice and on the bench. The White House’s assault on the rule of law is so deeply disturbing to me that I feel compelled to speak out,” he wrote. “Silence, for me, is now intolerable.”
Wolf added that justice is intended to be administered “equally for everyone, without fear or favor,” arguing that this is the “opposite of what is happening now.”
“As I watched in dismay and disgust from my position on the bench, I came to feel deeply uncomfortable operating under the necessary ethical rules that muzzle judges’ public statements and restrict their activities,” he explained. “Day after day, I observed in silence as President Trump, his aides, and his allies dismantled so much of what I dedicated my life to.”
Wolf further criticized Trump’s dismantling of “offices that could and should investigate possible corruption by him and those in his orbit” and condemned his “angry attacks on the courts.”
“I resigned in order to speak out, support litigation, and work with other individuals and organizations dedicated to protecting the rule of law and American democracy,” Wolf declared. “I also intend to advocate for the judges who cannot speak publicly for themselves.”
Chief Justice John Roberts has also criticized President Trump, saying in March that the president’s calls for impeaching judges are “not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”
