The courts are in a war against the Trump admin. Activist judges are getting in President Trump’s way.
And this federal judge with the latest anti-Trump ruling has been found to have wild skeletons in his closet.
Federal Judge’s Attendance at Anti-Trump Conference Raises Eyebrows Before Blocking Deportation Efforts
As is known now, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg recently blocked the administration’s deportations of illegal alien gang members in recent months. What’s less known is that just months prior, Boasberg attended a privately-funded legal conference in Idaho—one steeped in anti-Trump rhetoric and funded by groups opposed to the administration’s border security agenda. According to a judicial ethics report, the event featured sponsors and speakers who have openly criticized Trump, particularly on immigration, and carried a theme that mirrored the Democrat Party’s 2024 talking points about “saving democracy.”
The conference, held in the upscale Sun Valley, included Boasberg among nine Democrat-appointed judges and three Trump-nominated jurists. The agenda featured sessions titled “Role of Judges in a Democracy” and the “State of Democracy,” suggesting a focus that aligns with the Trump administration’s critics rather than its supporters. The event was detailed in a “Privately Funded Seminar Disclosure Report,” which confirms Boasberg’s attendance but leaves unanswered questions about whether he received payment or travel reimbursements—and if so, how much.
Overseen by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, federal judicial ethics rules require private entities inviting judges to such programs to disclose financial details if reimbursements exceed $480. Yet, the report offers no specifics on individual judges or total payments, a gap that leaves room for speculation.
The disclosure, available through the D.C. District Court’s official website, was brought to light by reporters after a tip from a retired Democrat-appointed judge. This source, who preferred anonymity, expressed unease that the July 2024 conference’s emphasis on judges’ roles in democracy veered too close to partisan territory—especially given its timing and attendees. Boasberg did not respond to inquiries from reporters about whether his “payment” was merely expense reimbursement or something more substantial.
Chief Judge James Boasberg has BLOCKED the deportation of Tren de Aragua gang members, despite his daughter’s employment with a pro-criminal illegal alien 501c3 organization!
This blatant conflict of interest undermines our justice system and endangers American lives.
Watch… pic.twitter.com/J6YEhbeQpx
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) March 21, 2025
The conference was part of the Rodel Institute’s Judicial Fellowship program, with Boasberg and the other attending judges listed as first-year fellows. The institute’s funding ties, however, paint a picture of an organization less than friendly to the Trump administration’s goals. Major donors include the Henry Luce Foundation, which backs the Migration Policy Institute—a group that recently accused the Trump administration of bending “U.S. government in extraordinary ways towards aim of mass deportations.”
The Luce Foundation also supports “Documented,” a newsroom that decried “the plight of the Venezuelan diaspora—criminalized both in their home country and the United States” under Trump’s watch. Similarly, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund has funneled significant sums to the Brennan Center for Justice, a frequent litigant against Trump policies, while the Hewlett Foundation has voiced dismay over the administration, citing the January 6, 2021, Capitol unrest as a low point exacerbated by Trump’s actions.
The Rodel Institute’s leadership and associates further tilt the scales. CEO John Kroger, a presenter at past Rodel events, has been vocal on LinkedIn, alleging Trump’s administration “intentionally” took “a very large number of actions that violate statutes or clear constitutional precedent”—actions he claims would have sparked “bipartisan impeachment” in earlier eras.
Kroger has also labeled Trump “disqualified” from the presidency, writing last year that “calling the convicted felons who attacked the Capitol on January 6 ‘patriots’ and ‘hostages,’ giving them a salute, and promising them pardons disqualifies you from being president.” He added, “Truly awful. Real patriots oppose political violence and support the rule of law, plain and simple.” Kroger’s plea for “decency, values and common sense” over “extremism” leaves little doubt about his stance.
Other conference figures echo this sentiment. Featured speaker Cara Drinan, a Catholic University law professor, led discussions on judges’ democratic roles and has sharply criticized Trump. In a 2018 Huffington Post op-ed, she condemned the administration for “keeping migrant children in cages, claiming that a policy of family separation deters future illegal immigration.” She wrote, “The images of what this policy entails are horrific: terrified, confused children watching as agents search their mothers; parents pleading with agents to show mercy; children sleeping on mats inside wire cages covered with Mylar blankets.”
“The sounds of this inhumanity are even harder to stomach: children calling for their mother and father, sobbing to the point of breathlessness.” Drinan also accused Trump of hypocrisy, noting, “After claiming for days that he did not have the authority to address the family separation crisis at the border, President Donald Trump appeared to do just that with the stroke of a pen.” Her overall critiques include opposing Trump’s Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh and advocating progressive causes like prisoner releases during COVID-19.
The Rodel Institute insists it’s nonpartisan, with its judicial fellowship director Jeff King—a former Kansas Republican legislator—steering the program. Yet its annual book award honors Mickey Edwards, a former GOP congressman turned Trump detractor who endorsed Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024. Edwards’ name on the award aligns with the institute’s funding and leadership leanings, raising questions about its neutrality.
Of the twelve federal judges at the conference, nine were Obama or Biden appointees, while three— including Amul Thapar—were Trump picks. The imbalance suggests a gathering more comfortable with the prior administration’s priorities than Trump’s. The ethics report, filed by Rodel and shared online, lists attendees without addressing potential influences from the event’s anti-Trump undertones.
For Trump supporters, Boasberg’s attendance at this conference casts a shadow over his later ruling against deporting gang members—a key administration priority. While the judicial ethics framework allows such engagements, the lack of transparency about funding and the event’s apparent alignment with Trump’s critics fuel concerns about impartiality.
🚨 I just introduced Articles of Impeachment against radical activist Judge James Boasberg.
He is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office. pic.twitter.com/MO6UjQ6wBb
— Congressman Brandon Gill (@RepBrandonGill) March 18, 2025
At a time when the administration is pushing to secure borders and uphold law and order, the optics of a judge hobnobbing with its detractors at a ritzy retreat don’t sit well with those who see Trump’s policies as a necessary stand against chaos. Whether Boasberg’s decision was swayed by the conference remains unclear, but the connection is hard to ignore—and harder still to dismiss as mere coincidence.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
