Georgia Judge Eleanor Ross recuses self from election case after sex with police officer
US District Judge Eleanor Ross has recently recused herself from a case involving Georgia election records after the US Department of Justice raised concerns about her impartiality. The Justice Department had sought to remove Ross from the case, citing her reported attendance at a partisan event for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who prosecuted former President Donald Trump.
In a recent filing, Ross stated that she was recusing herself “out of an abundance of caution for the potential perception of bias.” The case in question involved a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger seeking an unredacted statewide voter list, with Ross presiding over the matter.
The decision to recuse herself comes after Ross had previously received a “private reprimand” following an investigation that revealed she had engaged in inappropriate behavior. The investigation found that Ross had engaged in sexual activity with a high-ranking uniformed police officer in her chambers, attended a partisan event, and initially lied when confronted with the allegations.
Despite these past transgressions, Ross defended her attendance at the event hosted by Willis’ campaign, stating that she had gone to see former colleagues and friends. Ross had previously worked in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, where she overlapped with Willis before Willis became district attorney.
Willis gained national attention in August 2023 when she obtained an indictment against Trump and 18 others, accusing them of participating in a scheme to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. The case was ultimately dismissed in November.
With Ross recusing herself from the case involving Georgia election records, the matter will now be handled by another judge to ensure fairness and impartiality in the proceedings.
