Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is attempting to censure and investigate the sitting judge handling one of former President Donald Trump’s court cases, according to a resolution the Floridian introduced Friday.
The censure resolution targets U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case regarding the former president’s alleged efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election and his alleged role in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Gaetz claimed the judge is openly biased against Trump.
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“It is deeply concerning that a United States District Court judge would exhibit such blatant political bias from the bench,” Gaetz said in a statement.
“Judge Tanya Chutkan’s extreme sentencing of January 6 defendants, while openly supporting the violent Black Lives Matter riots of 2020, showcases a complete disregard for her duty of impartiality and the rule of law. Justice may be blind, but the American people are not,” he added.
The resolution condemns Chutkan’s supposed support for Black Lives Matter riots and her donations to former President Barack Obama, who appointed her to the court. Chutkan claimed in 2021 that comparisons between BLM riots and the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill are a “false equivalency” that “ignores a very real danger the January 6 riot posed to the foundation of our democracy.’’
Several notable conservatives have called for Chutkan’s recusal, claiming she was particularly harsh with the Jan. 6 rioters, even if they had no prior arrests. Trump himself has slammed Chutkan and accused her of wanting to see him behind bars.
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Gaetz’s move comes the day after Trump’s lawyers requested the former president’s trial be delayed until April 2026, two years after the January start date federal prosecutors requested. The former president’s legal team claimed the defense would need more time to sort through the documents, which the Justice Department has devoted more than two years to gathering. The legal team said four months would not be enough time to go through the evidence.
Friday’s resolution also called upon the House Judiciary Committee to launch an investigation into Chutkan.
