Sen. Ted Cruz escalated calls for judicial impeachment during a Senate Judiciary hearing Wednesday, demanding Congress act against two federal judges he accused of abusing their authority. The Texas Republican argued the cases reflect a breakdown of judicial accountability rather than routine legal disagreement.
Cruz urged impeachment proceedings against U.S. District Judges James Boasberg and Deborah Boardman, acknowledging such actions are rare but historically justified. “Rarer still, until now, were the deeper offenses the framers feared most — judges who, without necessarily breaking a criminal statute, violate the public trust,” Cruz said. He added that impeachment exists to address conduct that “subvert[s] the constitutional order.”
Cruz focused on Boardman’s sentencing of Sophie Roske, who pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Boardman imposed an eight-year sentence after the Department of Justice sought 30 years, citing Roske’s identification as transgender and related adversity. Cruz sharply criticized the decision, saying, “If you attempt to murder a Supreme Court justice, and you happen to be transgender, not a problem.”
The senator also targeted Boasberg for approving sealed gag orders in 2023 tied to subpoenas issued by former special counsel Jack Smith during the Jan. 6 investigation involving President Trump. Republicans whose phone records were subpoenaed say their constitutional protections were violated. Law professor Rob Luther testified Boasberg should not have approved the orders without clearer justification, asking whether the judge “merely rubber stamp[ed] the requested gag order.”
Democrats pushed back. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse accused Republicans of intimidating judges. “There was a time when I’d have hoped a Senate Judiciary subcommittee would not be roped into a scheme to amplify pressure and threats against a sitting federal judge,” Whitehouse said.
House Judiciary Committee leaders said impeachment options remain under review, though conviction would require a two-thirds Senate vote.
