US Judge Eleanor Ross Apologizes After Court Sex Scandal and Investigation

 Federal Judge Apologizes After Investigation Finds She Had Sex in Chambers and Lied to Investigators

A US federal judge who faced disciplinary action after an investigation found that she had a sexual relationship with a police officer inside her courthouse chambers and initially lied about the allegations has issued an apology, describing her conduct as harmful, offensive and unprofessional.

US District Judge Eleanor Ross, who serves in the Northern District of Georgia, apologized in a letter dated June 11 to a former law clerk, acknowledging that her actions were wrong and that she had no excuse for her behavior.

According to the Associated Press, the investigation found that Ross had engaged in sexual activity with a high-ranking uniformed police officer inside her courthouse office during working hours.

The investigation also established that she initially denied the allegations when questioned by the chief judge of the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

In her apology letter, Ross acknowledged the harm caused by her actions and expressed regret over falsely accusing the former clerk of making up the allegations.

Investigation Reveals Details of Judge's Conduct

The investigation began after a law clerk reported that Ross had engaged in sexual activity with a police officer in her chambers on multiple occasions.

The allegations also included concerns about her supervision of law clerks and claims that she had shouted and used inappropriate language toward staff.

A special committee reviewed security footage, visitor logs and interviews with court employees.

According to the investigation report, security records showed that the officer frequently visited Ross's chambers while wearing his uniform, often around lunchtime.

Six former clerks recalled seeing someone matching the officer's description, while three said they remembered hearing sounds that may have indicated sexual activity inside the judge's office.

The investigation also examined allegations that Ross attended a partisan political gathering and had drinks at a victory party for a district attorney friend.

Ross eventually admitted to having an extramarital sexual relationship with the officer but disputed allegations that she mistreated her staff.

Judge Receives Private Reprimand

Following the investigation, Ross received a private reprimand, meaning the disciplinary action did not publicly identify her at the time.

She also agreed not to pursue the position of chief judge of her district when eligible and was required to write apology letters to six former law clerks.

In her latest letter, Ross admitted that an earlier apology had failed to take full responsibility for her actions.

She expressed regret for falsely accusing the former clerk and promised to take additional steps to prevent similar misconduct in the future.

Congressmen Seek Judge's Impeachment

The controversy has also reached the US Congress, where two Georgia lawmakers filed separate impeachment resolutions against Ross.

Federal judges in the United States are appointed for life and can only be removed through impeachment by Congress.

The House Judiciary Committee will determine whether to begin formal impeachment proceedings.

Ross was nominated to the federal bench in 2014 by former President Barack Obama.

Her case has raised questions about judicial accountability, professional conduct and the standards expected of federal judges.

Sources: "Associated Press (AP)" (https://apnews.com/), "CNN" (https://www.cnn.com/), "The New York Times" (https://www.nytimes.com/).