Federal judge resigns amid allegations of inappropriate relationship with clerk

A federal judge in Alaska has resigned amid allegations that he engaged in an “inappropriately sexualized relationship” with one of his law clerks.

U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Kindred presented his resignation letter July 3 without explanation, saying it would come into effect on July 8. judicial conduct review released Monday, Kindred is accused of creating a hostile work environment and having an inappropriate relationship with one of her employees during her internship, which continued shortly after she became an assistant U.S. attorney.

The Judicial Council overseeing the matter has requested that Members voluntarily resign while the Judicial Conference of the United States continues to review the situation.

A special commission was appointed in February 2023 to investigate the allegations. The committee submitted its 1,144-page report earlier this year after analyzing hundreds of text messages and interviewing witnesses, including Members and those who worked for him.

The committee detailed the “exceptionally close relationship” between the Members and the clerk, explaining that there were two sexual encounters in October 2022. The panel also reviewed nearly 300 pages of text messages between the two over an 11-month period.

After she left the office and began her new job as an assistant U.S. attorney, Kindred met the former clerk for drinks and then took her upstairs to his quarters, where he kissed her, according to the review. There was also a second sexual encounter a few days later in his temporary apartment, the report noted.

“I just remember thinking there was nothing I could do about it, like this was about to happen,” the employee told investigators of the second incident.

The report said Kindred initially lied about the relationship with the law enforcement official, saying he “never had any sexual contact with [the law clerk].”

“Only when questioned under oath during the April 5, 2024, Judicial Council meeting did he admit that he had deliberately lied to the Special Committee,” the report said.

The judicial misconduct complaint said Kindred “created a hostile work environment for its legal employees by engaging in unwelcome, offensive and abusive conduct and treating legal employees in a demonstrably egregious and hostile manner.”

It also alleged that the judge regularly subjected judicial employees to conversations about his personal life, including those “of a sexual nature”. The committee concluded that he “did not hesitate to use inappropriate language in a professional setting,” including stating that he was not “ignorant,” sharing inappropriate stories of sexual encounters, and sharing his sexual preferences.

The review noted that Kindred, in its response to the report, said it “failed to exercise appropriate boundaries and crossed lines it should not have crossed, especially with regard to the general tendency to treat employees as friends and allow my personal interests and professionals struggle to become a topic of conversation.”

Kindred was nominated by then-President Trump to replace U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline in 2019. He was subsequently confirmed by the Senate in 2020.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) said she is working to find a replacement to take over as Member.

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

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story