Obama-Appointed Judge Faces Misconduct Complaint Over Wife’s Anti-Trump Ties & Kennedy Center Recusal

FIRST ON FOX: U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, is now the target of a judicial misconduct complaint from conservative watchdog group, the Center to Advance Security in America (CASA). The group alleges Cooper should have recused himself from a high-profile lawsuit concerning President Donald Trump’s effort to rename the Kennedy Center, citing significant conflicts of interest related to his wife’s extensive representation of ‘anti-Trump’ clients. In May, Cooper ruled against Trump, permanently blocking the renaming initiative after a lawsuit filed by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio.

CASA formally lodged its complaint with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, asserting that Judge Cooper’s failure to disclose or recuse himself was a serious ethical lapse. ‘CASA is filing a judicial complaint against Obama-appointed DC District Court Judge Christopher Cooper for his potentially unethical behavior after his failure to recuse himself from the frivolous Kennedy Center lawsuit filed against President Trump, given his wife’s financial interests in opposing President Trump’s agenda through litigation,’ stated Curtis Schube, CASA Director of Research and Policy. The watchdog argues these interests stem directly from his wife’s active involvement in litigation challenging Trump’s agenda.

The complaint follows recent criticism from former President Trump, who publicly slammed Cooper for a ‘conflict of interest.’ Cooper’s wife, Amy Jeffress, is a prominent attorney and self-described ‘longtime Democrat activist’ whose client roster includes formidable opponents of Trump. Jeffress notably represented former anti-Trump FBI lawyer Lisa Page, was counsel to the January 6th committee, and currently serves as former President Joe Biden’s personal lawyer, actively representing Biden in ongoing litigation against Trump’s Justice Department. Schube emphasized, ‘There was a clear need for Cooper to recuse himself from this matter, or at the very least disclose these conflicts. By doing neither, Cooper caused — at the very least — an appearance of impropriety, which warrants a full investigation.’

While the judicial misconduct complaint does not challenge Judge Cooper’s ruling itself, it forcefully argues that his involvement in the case inevitably raises reasonable questions about his ability to maintain impartiality under the federal judiciary’s strict Code of Conduct. The complaint states, ‘We are deeply concerned with the fact that a sitting federal judge did not recuse himself, and adjudicated to disposition, a case from which he and his spouse financially benefit.’ CASA further asserts that a ‘large portion of his wife’s business model appears to rely on handling litigation that is anti-Trump in nature,’ creating an undeniable appearance of impropriety.

CASA specifically alleges violations of multiple canons within the Code of Conduct for United States Judges. They argue Cooper violated Canon 1, which mandates judges uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary, stating, ‘Judge Cooper, presumably, goes home every night to his wife whose career is predicated on suing President Trump.’ Furthermore, Canon 2, requiring judges to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, is cited, noting issues arise ‘when public confidence is hampered; and when spousal relationships influence judicial conduct.’ Finally, Canon 3, which demands judges remain fair and impartial, is invoked, asserting that his spouse’s interests and potential partisan influences should have warranted recusal.

The complaint concludes by urging the D.C. Circuit to launch a full investigation into Judge Cooper’s conduct and determine if disciplinary action is necessary. Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014, Cooper has previously faced conflict of interest allegations from Trump and his allies. Notably, he drew scrutiny during Special Counsel John Durham’s prosecution of former Clinton campaign-linked attorney Michael Sussmann, part of the broader probe into the now-debunked Russian-Trump collusion theory. Critics at that time also argued for his recusal due to his wife Amy Jeffress’ representation of former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, a key figure in the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Fox News Digital reached out to Judge Cooper and Jeffress for comment regarding the complaint.

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