Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, a Republican, is set to present a resolution this Friday, seeking to censure the judge presiding over special counsel Jack Smith’s case related to former President Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election.
According to a statement released by Gaetz’s office, which was obtained by The Hill, Gaetz is launching this resolution against U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, accusing her of displaying clear bias and partisanship while performing her official responsibilities as a judge. The statement includes a quote from Gaetz, a staunch supporter of Trump and a prominent figure in the far-right faction of the Republican Party, expressing his deep concern regarding what he perceives as Chutkan’s overt political prejudice while serving on the bench.
In the statement, Gaetz is quoted as saying, “Judge Tanya Chutkan’s severe sentencing of January 6th defendants, contrasted with her open endorsement of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, is indicative of a profound lack of impartiality and a neglect for the principle of rule of law. Justice may wear a blindfold, but the American public does not – we are fully aware of Judge Chutkan’s actions and strongly condemn them.”
For her part, Judge Chutkan has endeavored to stress the irrelevance of political considerations in her rulings on the case. In a recent hearing concerning a protective order, she asserted her commitment to avoiding any influence of political campaigns on her judicial decisions, stating, “The ongoing political campaigns will have no impact on the choices I make in this case. My intention is to completely separate politics from this matter,” as Chutkan declared during the hearing.
