Federal Judge Eleanor Ross Recuses Herself From Georgia Voter Rolls Case

A federal judge has stepped aside from the Justice Department’s (DOJ) lawsuit seeking Georgia’s voter registration data after federal prosecutors requested it.

U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross signed an order Monday granting the government’s motion to disqualify her under federal code, according to the five-page order filed in the Northern District of Georgia. She also rejected the department’s request for an emergency ruling, deeming it moot. The underlying suit accuses Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger of withholding voter data in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 while Georgia officials held back specific information, citing state law, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. The DOJ’s request centered on Ross reportedly appearing at a 2024 victory party for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who alleged Trump was connected to a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 Georgia election results, according to CNBC.

Ross declined to accept the argument that her possible political leanings alone justified stepping down, the order reads. She pointed to the unique circumstances of the case, where the administration is pushing for voter rolls in Georgia, where Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ prosecuted Trump for alleged election interference, according to the order. She wrote that she chose to withdraw out of caution over how the public might view her impartiality. (RELATED: GOP Congressman Moves To Impeach Judge Reprimanded For Courthouse Sex Escapades)

Judge Ross has granted our motion to recuse in the Georgia voter rolls litigation.

5 page order: pic.twitter.com/cbuDf9q4hw

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) June 16, 2026

Ross and Willis previously worked at the Fulton County DA’s office for overlapping periods before Willis took the top job there, according to The Associated Press.

Ross’s recusal comes after she allegedly engaged in courthouse sex with a high-ranking police official. An Eleventh Circuit probe reprimanded a federal judge they did not identify for carrying on a sexual relationship with a senior police officer inside her chambers in December 2025. A person familiar identified Ross as the judge and Atlanta Police Department Deputy Chief Kelley Collier as the officer, according to Bloomberg Law. Atlanta’s WSB-TV 2 confirmed Ross was the judge in question, citing several individuals familiar with the investigation.

The fallout has reached Capitol Hill. Republican Georgia Reps. Clay Fuller and Andrew Clyde filed impeachment articles against Ross, with the House Judiciary Committee set to weigh whether to proceed, according to the Washington Examiner. “She must be impeached and removed from the bench,” Clyde posted on X.

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced the win on X. “Judge Ross has granted our motion to recuse in the Georgia voter rolls litigation,” Dhillon wrote.

The Daily Caller reached out to Raffensperger’s office for comment.