An emergency meeting of the Federal Judges Association that had been set to occur soon has been unexpectedly canceled after President Donald Trump targeted them with a tweet.
The group features nine judges who form an executive committee that meets on a regular basis to discuss certain issues. Established in the 1980s, the committee is made up of judges appointed by former Presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, and represents over 1,000 federal judges.
The emergency meeting was scheduled to discuss the rampant interference with the Justice Department by Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr, who stuck their noses into the Roger Stone case, which prompted the federal prosecutors working on the case to resign in protest.
Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, the current president of the group, briefly spoke to USA Today about the meeting.
Philadelphia U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, who heads the independent Federal Judges Association, said the group “could not wait” until its spring conference to weigh in on a deepening crisis that has enveloped the Justice Department and Attorney General William Barr.
“There are plenty of issues that we are concerned about,” Rufe told USA TODAY. “We’ll talk all of this through.”
Rufe also voiced support for Judge Amy Berman Jackson, whom Trump has viciously attacked in recent days.
The meeting was scheduled not long after over 2,000 former Justice Department officials signed a letter condemning Trump and Barr for undermining the rule of law and calling for Barr to resign.
But on Wednesday, the group suspiciously canceled the meeting out of the blue after Trump posted a tweet demanding the group address his repeatedly debunked claims surrounding the Russia investigation.
I hope the Federal Judges Association will discuss the tremendous FISA Court abuse that has taken place with respect to the Mueller Investigation Scam, including the forging of documents and knowingly using the fake and totally discredited Dossier before the Court. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2020
The Inspector-General reported last year that the Russia investigation was not tainted by bias. Nor did the FBI “spy” on Trump campaign as he has repeatedly claimed.
Furthermore, some of the Steele dossier has been verified and none has been disproved.
Did Trump scare the judges into canceling the emergency meeting? Let’s hope not. Because if that’s the case, he just tightened his grip on a branch of government that is supposed to serve as a check on executive power.
Featured Image: Wikimedia
