A Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas has had her cases temporarily reassigned and faces mounting scrutiny Tuesday after investigators said she abandoned her duties and sent confidential court records to roughly 140 people.
U.S. District Judge Ada Brown of Dallas has already been ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination amid concerns about her ability to perform her job, Reuters reported.
Investigators determined she had “abandoned her post as a federal judge,” citing “bizarre emails” and “racial insults,” according to Reuters.
The Fifth Circuit Judicial Council temporarily reassigned her docket and halted new case assignments on Sept. 29. Law.com also reported the council’s concerns about a possible mental condition interfering with her responsibilities.
But the inquiry took another turn over the weekend.
A three-judge investigative committee said Brown rejected a requested interview in an email sent after 1 a.m. Saturday. She claimed participating would compromise a separate investigation outside the Fifth Circuit, which the committee said it knew nothing about.
Brown then circulated confidential misconduct materials and records from two apparently unrelated attorney-discipline matters, the panel said.
"The Committee urges Judge Brown to reconsider her decision not to participate,” its Tuesday order stated. "Failure to cooperate and comply with this Committee’s orders, without good cause shown, may result in the Committee expanding the scope of the investigation.”
Brown has until next Tuesday to explain why she distributed the records and identify who is conducting the purported separate investigation. But the committee warned it could complete its investigation and recommend action without her response.