Justice Department · Thursday, October 1, 2026
Justice Department files misconduct complaint against Minnesota federal judges
The File desk · Oct 1, 2026, 10:11 AM UTC
Status
Confirmed as a filing (Justice Department, Sept. 30, 2026). The complaint’s outcome is unknown.
On Sept. 30, 2026, the Justice Department said it filed a judicial-misconduct complaint against Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, Judge John R. Tunheim, and other anonymous District of Minnesota judges who spoke to the New York Times about immigration cases. The department asks that they recuse from Department of Homeland Security matters and wants an Eighth Circuit investigation. The filing states the department’s claims. The complaint’s outcome is unknown.
On Sept. 30, 2026, the Justice Department said it filed a judicial-misconduct complaint.
The named judges are Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz and Judge John R. Tunheim of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
The complaint also names other District of Minnesota judges anonymously.
The department says those judges spoke to the New York Times about immigration cases.
The department asks that they recuse from Department of Homeland Security matters.
It wants the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to investigate.
The press release states the department’s claims.
The complaint’s outcome is not known. This edition does not treat the allegations as a finding.
What is still unknown or disputed
- Whether the Eighth Circuit opens an investigation.
- Whether any judge recuses.
- The full text of the complaint beyond the department’s description.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
Justice Department files judicial misconduct complaint alleging Minnesota judges made improper statements
U.S. Department of Justice · September 30, 2026
Complaint against Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, Judge John R. Tunheim, and other anonymous District of Minnesota judges over comments to the New York Times about immigration cases. The department asks for recusal from Department of Homeland Security matters and an Eighth Circuit investigation.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-judicial-misconduct-complaint-alleging-mn-judges-made-improper-and