Censuring and condemning United States District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan.

Bill: 118-hres-658
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Gaetz, Matt [R-FL-1]
Introduced: 2023-08-18
Policy area: Law
Latest action: action_date: 2023-08-18
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-08-18
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution censures and condemns Judge Tanya Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The resolution also&nbsp;directs the House Committee on the Judiciary to initiate an investigation into Judge  Chutkan.</p>

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 658 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 18, 2023 Mr. Gaetz submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary , and in addition to the Committee on Rules , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned RESOLUTION Censuring and condemning United States District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan.

Whereas United States District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan has exhibited open bias and partisanship in the conduct of her official duties as a judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia; Whereas, for example, in a sentencing related to January 6, on October 4, 2021, Chutkan issued a bizarre rant, opining that People gathered all over the country last year to protest the violent murder by the police of an unarmed man … to compare the actions of people protesting, mostly peacefully, for civil rights, to those of a violent mob seeking to overthrow the lawfully elected government is a false equivalency and ignores a very real danger that the January 6 riot posed to the foundation of our democracy. ; Whereas the violent protests of 2020 resulted in numerous injuries to law enforcement, including the firebombing of police vehicles, resulted in serious injuries to law enforcement, first responders, civilians, and property, and resulted in felony convictions and debarments of rioters from practicing law; Whereas Judge Chutkan’s expressed support for the violent protests in the summer of 2020 is conduct unbecoming a judge; Whereas the defendant before Judge Chutkan on October 4, 2021, was a nonviolent offender who spent merely 12 minutes on Capitol grounds, and who urged others to remain peaceful on January 6, 2021; Whereas Judge Chutkan’s comments raise serious concerns about the fairness and constitutionality of the sentencing of that defendant, or other defendants in cases relating to January 6; Whereas Chutkan donated thousands of dollars to elect Barack Obama; Whereas, in a more recent sentencing hearing in October 2022, Chutkan lamented that Donald Trump remains free to this day ; Whereas such partisan commentary by Judge Chutkan has been ongoing and calls into question her fitness as a judge; and Whereas Chutkan’s comments and activities on and off the bench violate all 5 canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges; namely, calling into question the integrity and independence of the judiciary; presenting impropriety and the appearance of impropriety; failing to perform the duties of the office fairly, impartially, and diligently; engaging in extrajudicial activities inconsistent with the obligations of the office; and engaging in political activity: Now, therefore, be it

That— (1) United States District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan be censured and condemned; and (2) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives shall forthwith initiate an investigation into Tanya Chutkan, for the purpose of gathering evidence relevant to the duties of Congress under article II, section 4 of the Constitution of the United States.