DOJ accuses judge of ‘egregious misconduct’ after heated hearing on trans service members

Published February 21, 2025 7:26pm ET



A Justice Department official filed a complaint against a federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Friday after the judge excoriated a government lawyer during a hearing on President Donald Trump’s executive order barring transgender people from military service.

Justice Department chief of staff Chad Mizelle wrote in a letter to Washington’s appellate court that Judge Ana Reyes had “engaged in hostile and egregious misconduct” when she subjected a department lawyer to an unconventional grilling this week. Mizelle said she displayed a lack of impartiality and should be investigated.

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