Trump-appointed judge resigns after sexual misconduct allegations

A federal judge in Alaska resigned Monday after an investigation found he had an inappropriate relationship with a legal employee and then lied about it, as well as creating a hostile work environment that included explicit sexual comments to colleagues.

The 9th Circuit Judicial Council has asked U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Kindred, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, to voluntarily resign over allegations of misconduct that it said involved engaging in an “inappropriately sexualized relationship ” with a law enforcement official who lasted briefly in her time as an assistant U.S. attorney in Alaska.

The allegations described in a 30 pages wOyour request of May, released publicly on Monday, were detailed for the first time in an extensive report by a special committee that the circuit’s chief judge, Mary H. Murguia, appointed early last year to investigate the conduct of Members following allegations dated 2022 have been made.

“We conclude that Judge Kindred’s misconduct was pervasive and abusive, constituted sexual harassment, and fostered a hostile work environment that had a personal and professional impact on numerous employees,” the board wrote.

Members submitted his resignation letter to President Joe Biden last week, saying he would resign on Monday.

The court order cited an October 2022 incident in which Kindred allegedly kissed a former clerk and grabbed her butt after he asked her to go drinking with him shortly after she left his office and began working at the U.S. Attorney’s office. .

The order cites a second incident in which Member was accused of “putting his hands on me” and performing oral sex on the clerk after urging her to join him at an associate’s apartment.

The order references interviews with Kindred’s law enforcement officers and employees, as well as hundreds of pages of text messages detailing his inappropriate conduct, including discussions of his love life and the boyfriends and love lives of law enforcement officials and derogatory comments about your colleagues.

He also said that Kindred “did not hesitate to use inappropriate language in a professional setting, such as encouraging the classification of people based on ‘f— ability,’ stating that he was not ‘ignorant’ or telling stories about ‘giving jobs in a hot tub.’ In the few cases where employees have reached out to Judge Kindred to discuss their inappropriate behavior, they have been belittled or ostracized, and in one case, an employee has left the position.”

The investigative report said the Members made false statements and “obstructed, influenced and impeded” their dealings with the clerk.

In a nine-page written response to the investigation, Kindred said he “failed to exercise appropriate boundaries and crossed lines he should not have crossed” and that his relationship with the clerk “was not something that was born out of anything sinister.” .”

Kindred could not be reached for comment Monday evening. Reached for comment, a court official referred NBC News to the 30-page court order.

Murguia said in a statement that the investigation focused on “promoting a civil and respectful workplace, free from discrimination and harassment, and maintaining the integrity of the judiciary.”

“The process seeks to preserve the effective and agile administration of court business. By all accounts, this was a serious and sensitive matter,” Murguia said.

The Senate confirmed Members in 2020 in a vote of 54-41 which disintegrated mainly along party lines. No Republicans voted against his nomination.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Monday night on X that it was “more than appropriate” for the Members to resign.

“Based on the Order and Certification of the Ninth Circuit Judicial Council, it is more than appropriate that Mr. Member has tendered his resignation. Judges need to be held to the highest standards and Mr. Member has fallen well short of that mark.” she wrote. “I will work quickly to present a replacement candidate for consideration.”