Independent journalism at Truthout faces unprecedented authoritarian censorship. If you value progressive media, please <\/span><\/i>make a year-end donation<\/span><\/i><\/a> today.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A conservative United States federal judge was seen attending a political rally hosted by President Donald Trump this week, prompting a nonprofit watchdog group to file an ethics complaint against him.<\/p>\n Judge Emil Bove, who serves on the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, was nominated by Trump in June, and narrowly approved by a deeply divided Senate in a 50-49 vote the following month<\/a>. Prior to his nomination, he was a criminal defense attorney for Trump and served briefly in the Department of Justice (DOJ).<\/p>\n On Tuesday night, Trump appeared in Pennsylvania in front of an audience of his supporters. Though his speech was meant to focus on the economy, he delved into multiple unrelated topics, at one point going on a racist tirade against Democratic members of Congress<\/a> and insinuating that he may attempt to run for an illegal third term as president<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bove \u2014 whose jurisdiction covers the Keystone State \u2014 was in attendance at the rally, and was confronted by MS NOW<\/em> reporter Vaughn Hillyard, who asked what the federal judge was doing there<\/a>. Bove remarked that he was \u201cjust here as a citizen coming to watch the president speak.\u201d<\/p>\n Judge Emil Bove is at President Trump\u2019s Pennsylvania event tonight\u2014an unusual move for a federal judge. <\/p>\n When asked by MS NOW off camera why he is here, he responded: \u201cJust here as a citizen coming to watch the president speak.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/xmLDt0pBRR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) December 9, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n It is highly unorthodox for a sitting federal judge to attend political rallies of this nature. Indeed, Canon 5 of the United States Code of Conduct for federal judges<\/a> states that members of the judiciary \u201cshould refrain from political activity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n