Judge Ordered to Apologize to Clerks After Scandalous Affair in Chambers

A federal judge in Atlanta, Eleanor Ross, has been ordered to issue revised apologies to her law clerks following a scandalous affair with a senior police officer that allegedly took place within earshot of her staff. The controversy erupted after a two-year secret relationship between the judge and the officer became public, with complaints detailing that the sexual encounters in her chambers were so audible they reportedly sickened the clerks working nearby.

Ross, a jurist nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama in 2014, faced an investigation by the Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability of the Judicial Conference. The committee confirmed the allegations filed in a 22-page complaint submitted in February. Although Ross was not initially named in the public complaint, her identity was later revealed by Bloomberg Law and The New York Times.

The judicial panel imposed a relatively light penalty, consisting of a private reprimand and a directive for the judge to write specific apologies to six law clerks. The committee instructed that the letters must clearly identify the sexual misconduct for which the judge was apologizing. However, the initial correspondence, dated May 27 and obtained by the newspaper, was found to be insufficiently detailed. All three surviving copies were identical and comprised merely three sentences, offering a generic thank you for their service and a vague apology for not ensuring a "positive experience."

Former clerks who spoke to the Times on condition of anonymity expressed offense at the lack of specificity in the first set of letters. The situation escalated after The Times published the text of the apology, prompting the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to order an inquiry into whether the original letters met the committee's requirements. Consequently, four of the clerks formally complained that the initial letters failed to comply with the directive.

In response, Ross issued a second round of apology letters on Thursday. These revised messages acknowledged her "harmful, offensive, and unprofessional behavior" and admitted that her initial letter was "entirely deficient." In the new correspondence, she stated, "I am profoundly sorry for exposing you to my inappropriate personal relationship during your clerkship, and for the harm that I have caused you. My actions were patently wrong, and there is no excuse."

The underlying complaint, filed in February, outlined an affair that Ross admitted lasted from late 2022 through the fall of 2025. Interviews with at least half a dozen staff members corroborated the investigation. One clerk, identified as "Law Clerk A," who sat immediately outside the judge's chambers, claimed to have heard aggressive moaning and kissing sounds on multiple occasions once the officer entered the office. The federal judge's conduct has now drawn scrutiny for its impact on the professional environment of the courtroom and the well-being of her staff.

In a photograph taken during her confirmation proceedings, the judge is shown seated while her husband, DeKalb County Judge Brian Ross, sits behind her in a posture of support. However, allegations of misconduct have since surfaced, prompting a detailed inquiry into the conduct of the official for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta.

Court personnel have reported hearing explicit references to an illicit relationship, with one clerk noting that the officer involved used the word "affair" on at least one occasion. When the Daily Mail contacted Judge Ross's husband last month, he displayed a reaction that observers found peculiar regarding the scandal involving his wife. During a phone conversation monitored by a reporter, his assistant, Lisa Comey, approached him to address the accusations; she subsequently reported that he appeared unsurprised by the situation.

The atmosphere within the courthouse was reportedly tense, as another clerk described being "very uncomfortable" after overhearing intimate conversations emanating from the judge's chambers. A third law clerk, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that the disturbances caused by the alleged activities were so severe that they felt compelled to leave the office for the remainder of the day.

Physical evidence also came to light during the investigation. One clerk alleged that a seat cushion in the judge's chambers was stained in a way consistent with semen. Although DNA analysis returned a negative result, the judge's own admissions led investigators to conclude that she likely feared the test would yield a positive outcome.

Upon first facing these accusations in 2025, Judge Ross initially denied the claims. In a letter dated September 29 addressed to the Chief District Judge, she expressed that she was "astounded and confused" by the allegations. In a subsequent correspondence, she suggested the claims were fabricated as retaliation for her enforcement of policies requiring clerks to work within the office.

Just eleven days after her initial denial, the judge submitted a supplemental response through legal counsel, conceding to the affair and confirming sexual encounters with the officer in her office. The complaint further alleged that she attended a political gathering involving alcohol for a local District Attorney, an event that allegedly impaired her capacity to perform judicial duties the following day. Investigators noted that the judge admitted to an intern immediately after a criminal hearing that she had consumed "too many martinis" the previous night at what may have been a victory party for a primary election.

The misconduct extended to her professional interactions as well. The judge was accused of providing minimal feedback on motions drafted by clerks fresh from law school, with estimates suggesting she edited only about five percent of the civil orders issued in her name. Furthermore, she reportedly ended her workday early after explaining to staff that she had too much to drink at a primary election celebration, leaving two clerks feeling "mortified" by her remarks.

The judicial system often treats serious offenses committed by federal judges with leniency, frequently allowing them to retain their positions while keeping their identities private during investigations. The complaint against Ross was one of three examined by a special committee last year, despite a total of 1,857 complaints being filed. The committee noted that the affair "cast a pall" on the workplace and exposed her to potential blackmail, yet they issued a private reprimand that also cited her "otherwise exemplary service." The Daily Mail has contacted the judge's office seeking further comment on these developments.