Judge Eleanor Ross during a C-SPAN recording on judicial nominations on May 13, 2014. (Credit: C-SPAN)
ATLANTA - A federal judge has recused herself from a lawsuit over Georgia voter records after the U.S. Department of Justice raised concerns about whether she could remain impartial in the case, according to The Associated Press.
What we know:
U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross filed an order Tuesday removing herself from the lawsuit, writing that she was doing so "out of an abundance of caution for the potential perception of bias."
The Justice Department had asked that Ross be removed from the case, which involves a federal lawsuit seeking an unredacted statewide voter list from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Concerns tied to Willis event
What they're saying:
Federal attorneys pointed to Ross' reported attendance at an event connected to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
In her recusal order, Ross acknowledged that both the Trump administration's current legal efforts and Willis' previous prosecution of President Donald Trump have become highly polarized issues.
Ross wrote that she could not rule out the possibility that an objective observer might view her attendance at an event sponsored by Willis' campaign as support for the district attorney, even though she said her purpose was to see former colleagues.
Prior disciplinary action
The backstory:
The recusal comes after Ross received a private reprimand following a judicial misconduct investigation.
According to the investigation, Ross engaged in sexual activity inside the courthouse with a high-ranking police officer, attended a partisan political event and initially denied the allegations when questioned.
The report also noted that Ross attended a private gathering associated with a district attorney's campaign. Ross acknowledged attending the event and said the district attorney involved had been a friend since 1999.
Before becoming a federal judge, Ross worked in the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, where she overlapped with Willis before Willis became district attorney.
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Background on the Trump case
Dig deeper:
In August 2023, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis obtained an indictment against President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants, alleging they participated in a wide-ranging effort to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results.
Prosecutors accused the group of pressuring state officials, organizing alternate electors and making false statements as part of an alleged conspiracy to reverse Trump's election loss in the state. Trump and several co-defendants denied wrongdoing. The case was later dismissed in November 2025 before going to trial.
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