Reagan Judges Slam Trump's Rule of Law Assault

 

Reagan-era federal judges, forged in the Watergate scandal's aftermath, are increasingly vocal against President Donald Trump's second-term actions, viewing them as echoes of Nixon-era abuses. These lifetime appointees, known for conservative restraint, have issued sharp rebukes from the bench, often overturned by a sympathetic Supreme Court. Their shared history—clerking and prosecuting amid post-Watergate reforms—fuels a principled stand for judicial independence.

 

U.S. District Judge John Coughenour labeled Trump's Day One executive order stripping birthright citizenship a "threat to the rule of law." Judge Royce Lamberth decried Trump's mass pardons of January 6 Capitol rioters, noting "meritless justifications of criminal activity have gone mainstream." Judge William Young condemned Trump's crackdown on pro-Palestinian students as a "great threat to Americans’ freedom of speech."

 

Now, Judge Mark Wolf, appointed by Reagan in 1985 alongside Young, has resigned his senior status after 40 years to speak freely. In a Politico interview and Atlantic op-ed, the 78-year-old former public corruption prosecutor warns of Trump's "partisan" weaponization of justice—targeting foes while shielding allies—and the high court's 17-3 shadow docket wins, likening it to steroid-era baseball suspicions of impartiality.

 

Wolf laments eroded public trust, conditioned by partisan attacks on "corrupt" judges, fearing democracy's doom without judicial support. He spotlights Border Czar Tom Homan's closed FBI probe, where undercover agents recorded a $50,000 cash handoff in a Cava bag for promised contracts—yet no charges despite tapes. "Why no bipartisan outcry for evidence?" Wolf asks, urging congressional review.

 

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed Wolf's Homan remarks as "hyper-partisan," affirming no illegal activity and praising SCOTUS upholds. Wolf, unbound by ethics rules, vows to support litigation and advocacy, echoing colleagues' courtroom warnings drowned by Trump's "bully pulpit." This Reagan cohort's defiance underscores Watergate lessons: unchecked power topples justice.

 

Key Takeaways

• Watergate Roots Fuel Backlash: Reagan judges, shaped by Nixon's fall, see Trump's power grabs as existential threats to impartial justice.
• Bold Resignation for Free Speech: Mark Wolf quits bench to decry Trump's legal partisanship and Supreme Court bias, citing Homan cash scandal.
• Judicial Warnings Ignored: Lower court rebukes on citizenship, pardons, and speech face SCOTUS reversals, eroding public faith in rule of law.

 

Original Source: POLITICO

The US is in its "Age of Lucre".