PROVIDENCE, R.I. — U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr., who ruled against the Trump administration’s effort to freeze billions in federal grants, has a daughter currently employed as a senior policy advisor in the U.S. Department of Education, a position to which she was appointed by President Joe Biden.
That is a claim made today by Laura Loomer.
McConnell, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island, ordered the Trump administration to “immediately restore frozen funding” and accused officials of failing to comply with a previous order. The ruling has drawn scrutiny from conservative commentators, who argue that McConnell should have recused himself due to his daughter’s role in the agency impacted by the decision.
Catherine McConnell was appointed to the Department of Education on Feb. 14, 2022. Some critics claim her position represents a potential conflict of interest for Judge McConnell, given the Trump administration’s stated intention to defund and audit the department.
McConnell does have a daughter Catherine, according to this report.
McConnell, a longtime Democratic donor before his judicial appointment, has not publicly commented on the matter. Legal ethics experts have noted that a conflict of interest generally requires a direct financial benefit, which has not been established in this case.
Ms. McConnell has since removed her photo from her LinkedIn account, after Loomer’s revelation.
Judge McConnell’s office has not yet made a statement regarding this claim.