Complaint: Judge Who Barred Trump’s DEI Funding Freeze Had ‘Plain Conflict Of Interest’
In March, congressional Republicans formally called for the impeachment of Rhode Island Federal Judge John McConnell Jr. This week, America First Legal (AFL) filed a judicial complaint against him, asking Chief Judge David Barron of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to investigate McConnell.
The AFL complaint describes “apparent conflicts of interest and violations of judicial ethics requirements.” The Federalist has previously detailed some of those concerns.
McConnell presides over the New York v. Trump case in which 22 states and the District of Columbia complained that it was unconstitutional for the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to place a temporary pause on funding, grants, loans, and other financial assistance programs while OMB assessed the programs to make sure taxpayer money was not used to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
They wanted the money unfettered, no questions asked, and McConnell sided with the states by ordering the administration to keep the money flowing.
McConnell didn’t mention that he is a long-time board member and leader at the $31 million nonprofit Crossroads Rhode Island, which gets over half its funding from federal money, largely filtered through state programs. It is a low-income housing developer that aims to address homelessness and dabbles in real estate.
“McConnell has a personal interest in the litigation’s outcome and, therefore, has an improper bias that should disqualify him from presiding over the matter,” AFL wrote in its 17-page complaint of judicial misconduct. “When Judge McConnell ordered the federal government to resume payments to the plaintiffs, he ensured that an organization on whose board he has sat and to which he has owed a fiduciary duty for nearly two decades would continue receiving tens of millions of dollars from the federal government.”
That is a conflict of interest, AFL says, and judges, by law, must avoid even the “appearance of impropriety.” But AFL argues that it goes beyond appearance for McConnell. Judges must also recuse themselves from a case when they have any interest that could be affected by their decisions.
Already in 2025, Crossroads has received $4.5 million from the state in money that likely came through the federal government.
“Judge McConnell must know that his ruling in New York v. Trump has sustained Crossroads to date, and his final ruling could either keep Crossroads in business or jeopardize its continued existence,” the AFL complaint reads. “It is hard to imagine a fact pattern that better illustrates the appearance of — if not actual — impropriety.”
McConnell was asked to comment for this story. His chief deputy clerk said the judge does not speak to the press about pending cases or while judicial misconduct complaints are pending.
The March 24 congressional resolution to impeach McConnell for “high crimes and misdemeanors” mentions the Crossroads conflict of interest and says the judge should have recused himself.
The resolution, introduced by Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., has nine cosponsors. It says McConnell “prioritized his own political views and beliefs over his duty of impartiality owed and deserved to litigants and the public in his handling of [New York v. Trump].”
McConnell was previously the director of the Rhode Island Planned Parenthood, and he and his wife donated nearly $700,000 “in political donations to Democratic committees, causes, and campaigns,” the impeachment document reads.
McConnell has likened Trump’s first stint in office to the Civil War and the Jim Crow era, and compared Trump to a tyrant, according to the impeachment document.
Apparently this is acceptable to the Rhode Island Bar Association, a club in which McConnell is a member. The bar put out an undated statement in support of McConnell, calling criticism “unwarranted.”
“Judge McConnell is a well-respected jurist. The Rhode Island Bar Association stands firmly in support of Judge McConnell,” the statement said. “The criticism of his decision is unfounded and demonstrates a disregard for the rule of law and judicial independence.”
The Federalist asked Chief Judge David Barron if he plans to initiate an investigation. He did not respond.
Beth Brelje is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.
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