Republican Backs Impeaching Trump-Appointed Judge: ‘Zero Tolerance’

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has thrown her support behind the impeachment of former U.S. District Judge Joshua Kindred, a former President Donald Trump appointee who resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power.
On her account on X (formerly Twitter), Murkowski posted her support for the Judicial Conference of the United States’ recommendation to impeach Kindred over inappropriate sexual behavior with a former law clerk.
“I am in complete agreement with the Judicial Conference of the United States and their recommendation that former U.S. District Judge Josh Kindred be considered for impeachment,” Murkowski said in a post on X.
Kindred, a judge from the Alaska federal district court appointed by the former president in 2019, resigned in July after the Judicial Council asked him to do so voluntarily. The council’s report outlined a series of inappropriate sexual advances toward one of his law clerks, who was later identified as a federal prosecutor.
A special committee was appointed in February 2023 to investigate the allegations. The committee submitted a 1,144-page report earlier this year, after reviewing hundreds of text messages and interviewing witnesses, including Kindred and his staff.
The report described an “unusually close relationship” between Kindred and the law clerk, revealing two sexual encounters in October 2022. It also reviewed nearly 300 pages of text messages exchanged over 11 months.
After the law clerk left her position and started working as an assistant U.S. attorney, Kindred met her for drinks, then brought her to his chambers where he kissed her, according to the report. A second sexual encounter occurred a few days later at his temporary apartment.
The report stated that Kindred initially lied about the relationship, claiming he “never had any sexual contact with [the law clerk].” He only admitted to lying during a Judicial Council meeting in April, when questioned under oath.
It also found that Kindred’s staff were subjected to their senior “engaging in unwanted, offensive, and abusive conduct, and treating the law clerks in a demonstrably egregious and hostile manner.”
The allegations, which first surfaced in November 2022, led to a lengthy investigation into Kindred’s conduct on the bench. Although the investigation resulted in his resignation, the Judicial Conference recommended impeachment to ensure he is permanently barred from holding future judicial or government positions—a measure Murkowski supports.
“If convicted, Mr. Kindred could be disqualified from holding future office. We must send a clear message that there is zero tolerance for this reprehensible behavior in our judicial system or any workplace in this country,” she stated on X.
If Kindred is to be impeached, it has to be determined whether his actions amount to “high crimes and misdemeanors,” for which there is no official definition, so Congress often looks to previous judicial impeachments.
Senator Murkowski was one of only seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial and has distanced herself from the GOP faction that supports him. While she has stated she will not vote for Trump in November, she has yet to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.