Fani Willis thought she was untouchable – and so did the federal judge at her victory party.
An Obama appointee in Atlanta just proved it – and her Fani Willis connection made it worse.
Jim Jordan just gave the court that protected her two weeks to explain itself.
Judge Eleanor Ross Had Sex in Her Chambers for Two Years While Clerks Listened
U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross spent two years conducting an extramarital affair with Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Kelley Collier.
Ross used her federal courthouse as a personal bedroom, during business hours, while her law clerks sat on the other side of the wall.
When the first law clerk reported the behavior to Chief District Judge Leigh Martin May in September 2025, Ross's response was to deny everything – and then blame the clerk.
She told Eleventh Circuit Chief Judge William Pryor she had "never engaged in sexual intercourse in [her] office, nor anywhere else in the Courthouse."
She also suggested the clerk invented the allegations as retaliation for a performance review.
Twelve days later, Ross sent a second letter walking back everything she'd said.
Those were lies told to two sitting chief judges during an official federal misconduct investigation.
Ross committed a felony when she lied to federal officials.
Eleanor Ross Attended the Fani Willis Victory Party Then Lied About It to Federal Investigators
The misconduct report identified a second violation: Ross attended Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis's Democrat primary victory celebration.
Ross is an Obama appointee who spent years as a prosecutor in the Fulton County DA's Office before joining the federal bench.
Willis is the same prosecutor who went after Donald Trump over the 2020 election – and Ross showed up to preside over federal court the morning after her party.
The House Judiciary Committee letter says Ross told her clerks she had consumed "too many martinis" at the event and that two of them were left "mortified."
Ross was then assigned to hear the DOJ's Georgia voter rolls lawsuit against Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. The Trump Justice Department moved to pull her from the case over the Fani Willis connection. She stepped aside.
Jim Jordan Demands Answers on Eleanor Ross Private Reprimand Before September 15
The Eleventh Circuit Judicial Council privately reprimanded Ross in February.
And the U.S. Judicial Conference affirmed the finding in May.
The reprimand stayed private – hiding Ross's name from the public and from every defendant who ever stood before her.
Ross sent letters to six law clerks, but the clerks said the apologies were too vague and admitted nothing.
Chief Judge Pryor ordered her to write another round.
Ross kept her seat on the federal bench throughout all of it.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Rep. Darrell Issa, and Rep. Clay Fuller – the Georgia Republican who filed impeachment articles against Ross in June – sent a letter this week to Chief Judge Pryor demanding a full accounting.
Their central question was direct: "Why did the special committee choose to privately reprimand Judge Ross for severe offenses of misconduct?"
Pryor has until 5 PM on September 15 to respond.
Eleanor Ross Faces Impeachment as Congress Takes On Federal Judicial Misconduct
Only eight federal judges in American history have been removed from the bench through impeachment.
The last was Alcee Hastings in 1989 – and he had taken cash bribes.
Eleanor Ross lied to two chief judges during a federal investigation.
She attended a Fani Willis campaign party and forced her clerks to act like everything was normal after she drank too much.
The judiciary's answer was a letter the public was never supposed to see.
Federal judges serve for life and answer to nobody.
The only check is Congress – and Jordan, Issa, and Fuller just picked it up.
They have reserved the right to pursue "additional action" if Pryor's answers fall short.
Ross is still on the bench.
September 15 is two weeks away.
Sources:
- Ben Smith, "Judge Who Attended Fani Willis Victory Event Got Private Reprimand After Misconduct Findings," RedState, September 2, 2026.
- The Editors, "Federal Judge Eleanor Ross Should Resign or Be Impeached," National Review, June 5, 2026.
- Staff, "Impeachment Sought Against Federal Judge Over Alleged Sex in Chambers, Lying to Investigators," The Washington Times, June 9, 2026.
