A federal judge appointed by Barack Obama continues serving despite findings that she engaged in a two-year sexual affair in her courthouse chambers during work hours, creating an uncomfortable workplace for law clerks and exposing herself to potential extortion.

Misconduct Findings and Investigation

The Eleventh Circuit’s special judicial conduct committee investigated Eleanor Ross, a district judge in Georgia’s Northern District. According to the panel’s report, Ross conducted sexual encounters in her chambers during business hours with a police department commander over a two-year period. The committee found this behavior demonstrated a gross lack of judgment and created an extremely uncomfortable and troubling workplace environment for clerks who worked within earshot of these incidents.

The affair presented serious ethical concerns beyond workplace discomfort. The relationship with a law enforcement commander created substantial conflict-of-interest risks given the judicial nature of Ross’s position. The committee determined these circumstances left the judge vulnerable to extortion, compromising the integrity expected of federal judicial officers. The Judicial Conference’s conduct and disability committee affirmed the misconduct finding in a May order.

Additional Ethics Violations Uncovered

Investigators discovered Ross violated judicial ethics rules in other ways. She attended a partisan political event hosted by a district attorney’s campaign, breaching the prohibition against judges participating in political activities. When investigators questioned her about her conduct, Ross made false statements to the judges conducting the inquiry. These additional violations compounded the severity of the original misconduct findings. Despite being married to a DeKalb County judge and former prosecutor, Ross carried on the inappropriate relationship that ultimately led to the formal misconduct determination.

Appointment History and Current Status

Obama nominated Ross to the federal bench on December 19, 2013. The Senate confirmed her appointment through a voice vote on November 18, 2014, and she received her judicial commission two days later. Ross has refused to resign despite the damning findings from multiple judicial review bodies. The investigation concluded with formal misconduct determinations, yet she remains on the bench, raising questions about accountability standards for federal judges who engage in conduct that compromises judicial integrity and creates hostile work environments for court staff.