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The respected and influential third-ranking member of the House Republicans has voiced her call for an ethical investigation into the conduct of a prominent Washington D.C. judge. This legal figure has a record of ruling on cases involving pressing issues that have been connected to both the former President Trump and the troubling events of January 6th, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.
House GOP Conference Chair, Elise Stefanik, firmly representing the state of New York, has filed a comprehensive misconduct allegation against Beryl Howell, a sitting judge in the DC District Court. The complaint was triggered by a rather dividing speech Howell delivered in late November. Interestingly, she was accepting an award from the Women’s White Collar Defense Association while issuing these remarks.
While taking care to avoid directly naming President Trump, Judge Howell attributed the Capitol unrest to ‘big lies.’ She expressed a rather concerning warning of ‘a very surprising and downright troubling moment in this country when the very importance of facts is dismissed, or ignored.’
This statement was met with stern criticism from Stefanik. She described Howell’s remarks as ‘highly inappropriate,’ alleging the judge of insinuating that the re-election of President Trump would open the gates of extremism in America. Stefanik’s perspective was clear – she plainly viewed such a move as direct interference in the electoral process.
Stefanik further elaborated in her complaint, addressing a public worry that said, ‘Judge Howell’s partisan speech is obviously highly inappropriate election interference by a federal judge that undermines the public’s trust in our courts’. The concern was extended to discredit Judge Howell’s conduct, citing the overly personal relationships she maintained with partisan colleagues as a possible impact on the public trust in judicial independence.
Judge Howell’s time at the helm of the DC District Court extended from 2016 up until March of this year. Punctuating the end of her tenure, she oversaw the transition of communications between Trump and his lawyer to Special Counsel Jack Smith. Smith at that time was delving deep into the investigative process of Trump’s orchestrations concerning classified document management.
Making headlines once again, Judge Howell also enforced the lawyer to testify before a grand jury. But the judge did not fall short of raising her eyebrows towards the federal prosecutors’ leniency in the sentencing suggestions for the January 6 protestors.
Stefanik’s comprehensive letter detailed many concerns about Howell’s actions. There was a pointed observation made about the relationships the judge had with figures from the Obama administration, such as former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and current Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who were both present at the award event.
Stefanik voiced her shock about the former Attorney General lavishing praise on a sitting federal judge, especially regarding her management of grand-jury proceedings concerning pending federal criminal charges against President Trump, the upcoming criminal cases against his January 6 supporters, and the quick legal conclusion that an ‘insurrection’ occurred on January 6 – a term that even the somewhat theatrical Biden Special Counsel Jack Smith has refrained from charging any January 6 participant.
In the midst of her notable discourse, Judge Howell also showered commendation on Lisa Monaco, who has been supervising the January 6 prosecutors. Highlighting this point, Stefanik communicated her concerns to the Judicial Council of the District of Columbia Circuit.
The Judges gracious words to Monaco drew Stefanik’s attention, ‘I’ve been in awe of how you remain a model of calm and grace when carrying enormous responsibility for the safety of so many.’ was exactly what the judge said of Monaco.
Stefanik did not mince words in her letter, stating, ‘Judge Howell’s 16 minutes of substantive remarks had little to do with women representing white-collar criminal defendants – and they were hardly apolitical, let alone politically neutral.’
Stefanik has a commemorable track record of taking stern actions when it comes to ethical issues. She had previously filed an ethics complaint against New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron over the handling of a civil case against the former president and the Trump Organization initiated by state Attorney General Letitia James.
In an exclusive conversation with Fox News Digital, she discussed the recent notice of misconduct, ‘DC Obama Judge Beryl Howell delivered a divisive speech that insinuated the election of President Trump could lead to extremism in America.’
She further said, ‘She also allowed an open display of her intimate personal relationships with partisan friends who present cases before her, including the Biden Deputy Attorney General who oversees the January 6 criminal prosecutions.’ The Washington, D.C., court system is yet to respond to queries made by Fox News Digital.
