WASHINGTON—A series of accusations circulating on social media allege the existence of an encrypted Telegram group chat in which dozens of federal judges supposedly discussed strategies to obstruct President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The content, attributed to John F. Kennedy Jr., presents the case as a “judicial coup” and claims that an intelligence operation uncovered conversations between judges politically aligned with Democrats and moderate Republicans.
According to the circulated version, the group exchanged comments about the Trump administration, as well as plans to counter its policies and critical messages against the president.
Among the judges mentioned are Richard Leon, Tanya Chutkan, and James Boasberg, as well as Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. The text alleges that these judges are part of a coordinated operation to use the judiciary to weaken Trump’s presidency.
The indictment also directly implicates Richard Leon, a federal judge in Washington, whom it accuses of openly opposing the president and whose decisions regarding Trump administration projects are questioned.
The alleged operation was reportedly authorized by Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, who is said to have received information about the messaging group.
The release of this case has reignited the political debate in the United States surrounding the independence of the judiciary and accusations of political interference in the courts. Any official evidence regarding the existence of the chat and any potential coordination among judges could have significant political and institutional repercussions.
