Schmitt Urges Impeachment of Federal Judge After Appeals Court Rebukes Contempt Probe

Call follows ruling that continued investigation into Trump administration actions constituted an abuse of judicial authority.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Sen. Eric Schmitt on Wednesday called for the impeachment of federal Judge James Boasberg after an appellate court determined the judge improperly continued a contempt investigation involving the Trump administration.

In a public statement on X, Schmitt wrote, “The D.C. Circuit ruled Boasberg’s contempt crusade against Trump officials is an ‘improper investigation’ and ‘clear abuse of discretion.’ He tried to imprison Trump officials for deporting Venezuelan gang members. I’m calling on the House: Impeach Rogue Judge Boasberg.”

The remarks came after a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ordered Boasberg to halt the proceedings earlier this week. The case stemmed from the judge’s effort to pursue contempt actions against administration officials over alleged noncompliance with an earlier order involving deportation flights.

Boasberg had sought to continue investigating whether officials violated his directive requiring aircraft transporting individuals to El Salvador to be turned around. The appellate court found that the underlying order lacked sufficient clarity to justify contempt proceedings tied to the transfer of custody.

In its written opinion, available here, the court stated, “The district court proposes to probe high-level Executive Branch deliberations about matters of national security and diplomacy.”

“These proceedings are a clear abuse of discretion, as the district court’s order said nothing about transferring custody of the plaintiffs and therefore lacks the clarity to support criminal contempt based on the transfer of custody,” the panel wrote. “Moreover, the government has already provided the name of the responsible official, so further judicial investigation is unnecessary and therefore improper.”

The ruling effectively ends the contempt inquiry and limits further judicial review into executive branch actions tied to the case.

Schmitt’s call for impeachment adds a new dimension to the dispute, shifting attention from the courtroom to potential congressional action. No formal impeachment proceedings have been announced in the House.