A federal judge known for his extensive donations to Democrats has ruled against President Donald Trump on two occasions—and is expected to do so again.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell, appointed by Obama and hailing from Rhode Island, has already halted two initiatives from the Trump administration related to federal funding. Currently, he is overseeing a third lawsuit—this one initiated by 20 Democratic state attorneys general—contesting Trump’s attempt to withhold funds from so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions that disregard federal immigration law, as reported by The Daily Signal.
McConnell’s political affiliations are well-known. Prior to his judicial career, he contributed nearly $500,000 to various campaigns—almost exclusively to Democrats. This includes $28,500 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $25,000 to Sen. Heidi Heitkamp’s campaign, and tens of thousands more to Democratic state parties and candidates nationwide, according to Open Secrets and CQ Roll Call.
He was nominated by then-President Obama in 2010 and confirmed by a narrow Senate vote of 50–44 in 2011.
His spouse, Sara Shea McConnell, has also significantly supported Democratic campaigns, donating over $250,000, including to the DNC, the Rhode Island Democratic Party, and to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.
Their daughter, Catherine McConnell, has served as a senior policy adviser in President Joe Biden’s Department of Education and previously worked under former Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, who is now Biden’s Secretary of Commerce. She also contributed to Democratic candidates as recently as 2021.
Previously, McConnell dismissed a lawsuit aimed at removing Trump from Rhode Island’s 2024 ballot, but since Trump assumed the presidency, he has not won any cases in McConnell’s court.
In the case of State of Rhode Island v. Trump, McConnell prevented Trump from reducing funding to agencies established by Congress, which includes the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Minority Business Development Agency.
In the matter of State of New York v. Trump, McConnell granted an injunction that halted Trump’s suspension of federal expenditures, aligning himself with 22 states and the District of Columbia.
In March, Representative Andy Clyde, a Republican from Georgia, introduced a resolution aimed at impeaching McConnell, citing what he described as an “obvious conflict of interest.”
The impeachment resolution targeting Judge John McConnell is not anticipated to progress, yet the claims it presents are significant.
Representative Andy Clyde’s resolution highlights McConnell’s role on the board of Crossroads Rhode Island, a nonprofit that benefits from state funding. Clyde contends that the judge’s association with the organization presents a clear conflict of interest, particularly since McConnell adjudicated a case that could directly affect that funding.
“There exists a distinct conflict of interest considering that Chief Judge John James McConnell Jr. presided over and rendered a decision on a case that substantially influences the funding of an organization where he serves as a director and fiduciary,” the resolution articulates.
In May, America First Legal—an organization established by officials from the Trump administration—lodged a complaint regarding judicial misconduct against McConnell with Chief Judge David Barron of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The group referenced McConnell’s active involvement with Crossroads Rhode Island, which is substantiated by the nonprofit’s IRS Form 990.
When approached for a statement, McConnell opted not to respond.
Frank Perry, the public information officer for the court, indicated that the judge would refrain from commenting to the media while presiding over cases related to the Trump administration. “Judge McConnell has no comment on the article or the impeachment resolution,” Perry remarked. “As a sitting federal judge, he is dedicated to maintaining the impartiality and integrity of the judiciary.”
Not all individuals concur with the criticism. Rhode Island…
However, with McConnell currently overseeing yet another case related to Trump—California v. U.S. Department of Transportation—apprehensions regarding impartiality persist.
In this instance, California Attorney General Rob Bonta is at the forefront, leading a coalition of 20 Democratic state attorneys general in a lawsuit aimed at preventing Trump from withholding federal transportation funds from states that do not comply with immigration enforcement.
