Johnson Signals Support for Impeaching Federal Judges Citing ‘Egregious Abuses’

House speaker says impeachment remains an extreme step but argues Congress may need to act against judges he says have exceeded their authority.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that he would support articles of impeachment against two federal judges, arguing that certain recent rulings amount to what he described as “egregious abuses” of judicial power.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters that while impeachment should not be pursued lightly, he believes some judges have strayed far beyond the proper bounds of their role. His remarks focused on U.S. District Judge James Boasberg and U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, both of whom have drawn sharp criticism from conservative lawmakers.

Republicans have openly rebuked Boasberg in recent months over his handling of several high-profile cases. Boardman has also been targeted by GOP lawmakers following her sentencing last year of Nicholas Roske, who plotted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“I’m for it,” Johnson said at a press conference, according to The Hill. “Impeachment, as we have discussed altogether many times, is an extreme measure. But extreme times call for extreme measures.”

Johnson added that, in his view, some judges have moved so far outside their proper role that congressional action may be warranted. “I think some of these judges have gotten so far outside the bounds of where they’re supposed to operate, it would not be, in my view, a bad thing for Congress to lay down law, so to speak, and make an example of some of these egregious abuses,” he said.

In November, Texas Republican Rep. Brandon Gill filed articles of impeachment against Boasberg, accusing him of weaponizing the judiciary against critics of the Biden administration. Gill’s filing cited Boasberg’s role in ordering telecommunications companies, including AT&T and Verizon, not to notify lawmakers about subpoenas for phone records issued during former special counsel Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation. Those nondisclosure orders remained in place for about a year.

Despite his comments, Johnson stopped short of committing to bring any impeachment articles to the House floor for a vote, leaving open whether such measures would advance beyond committee consideration.