Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, filed articles of impeachment against the federal judge who sentenced the would-be assassin of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to eight years in prison, eschewing federal sentencing guidelines of life in prison, The Daily Wire reported Monday.
Roy said U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman "deserves to be impeached for her absurd" sentence of Nicholas Roske, a 29-year-old who identifies as a woman named Sophie, earlier this month.
Federal prosecutors had sought 30 years for Roske over the June 2022 incident.
"Instead of doing what the Judiciary calls for and sentencing this man to the base 30-year sentence recommended by the Department of Justice, Judge Boardman purposefully allowed this man off easy," Roy told the outlet.
Roske was arrested in the early morning hours of June 8, 2022, outside Kavanaugh's Maryland home after calling 911 on himself, telling authorities he had traveled from California with a gun, ammunition, and burglary tools intending to kill the justice.
Boardman defended her decision to give Roske just eight years in prison, saying he called 911 and backed off before carrying out the attack. Boardman cited Roske's mental health and gender identity as mitigating factors.
Boardman noted that Roske's plan to kill Kavanaugh was driven by ideology — to ensure then-President Joe Biden could appoint a replacement who would not overturn abortion or gay-rights rulings. Boardman was nominated by Biden in April 2021.
Roske's lawyers admitted a federal "terrorism enhancement" applied, but Boardman reduced part of the penalty, arguing that "any prison time is punishment for her."
She added that sentence length wasn't everything, saying harsh prison conditions already carried weight.
"Our nation's judicial system is structured to administer proper and equal treatment under the law; it is not a system where a member of the Judiciary is to allow their personal feelings or political ideology to influence their decision-making — oftentimes resulting in more criminals on the street," Roy told The Daily Wire.
Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah have also called for Boardman's impeachment.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to appeal "the woefully insufficient sentence imposed by the district court."
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced legislation to bar judges from considering gender identity when deciding prison terms.
He also unveiled a separate bill that would require transgender inmates to be housed according to their biological sex, not their stated gender.
Boardman is the same judge who issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship.
Newsmax wires contributed to this report.
Mark Swanson ✉
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