WASHINGTON—Congressman Chip Roy on Monday filed articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, who sentenced Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s attempted assassin to only eight years in prison — significantly lower than what federal sentencing guidelines and prosecutors called for.
Nicholas Roske, a 29-year-old trans-identifying man who now goes by Sophie, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/transgender-man-who-planned-to-assassinate-brett-kavanaugh-gets-off-easy-will-serve-just-8-years">sentenced</a> October 3 for attempting to kill the Supreme Court justice in 2022.
In an exclusive statement to The Daily Wire, Roy said Boardman &#8220;deserves to be impeached for her absurd eight-year-sentence.&#8221;
&#8220;Our nation’s judicial system is structured to administer proper and equal treatment under the law; it is not a system where a member of the Judiciary is to allow their personal feelings or political ideology to influence their decision-making — oftentimes resulting in more criminals on the street,&#8221; the Texas Republican said.
Roske faced up to life in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors asked for 30 years.
Roy noted the assassin &#8220;went to great lengths to methodically plan for the attack by spending months researching the private residence of a sitting Supreme Court Justice and obtaining countless weapons and other instruments to fulfill his plot to kill.&#8221;
Roske meticulously planned the assassination for months but had a change of heart outside the conservative justice’s home and called the police to turn himself in.
Roy, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said the judge &#8220;unequivocally based this weak sentence on the attempted assassin&#8217;s &#8216;gender identity,&#8217; as the attempted assassin expressed that he views himself as a woman.&#8221;
&#8220;Instead of doing what the Judiciary calls for and sentencing this man to the base 30-year sentence recommended by the Department of Justice, Judge Boardman purposefully allowed this man off easy,&#8221; Roy said.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/transgender-man-who-planned-to-assassinate-brett-kavanaugh-gets-off-easy-will-serve-just-8-years">previously</a> reported Boardman, a Joe Biden appointee to Maryland federal court, acknowledged there was “a whopping 22-year difference” between that and the minimum of 30 years called for by federal sentencing guidelines.
In a seven-hour sentencing hearing, Boardman focused heavily on Roske&#8217;s gender identity. “Let’s talk about the fact that Ms. Roske is a transgender woman … Should I take into consideration at all that Ms. Roske is transgender?” she asked prosecutors.
“That should not be taken into account or play a large role in the court’s sentencing,&#8221; prosecutor Coreen Mao replied.
Boardman said that because President Donald Trump had issued an executive order aimed at transgender prisoners, she would hand down a lighter sentence — even though parts of that executive order are not currently in place due to an injunction imposed by a different judge.
“She will be imprisoned at a male facility even though she is a transgender prisoner, pursuant to an executive order from the president. Prior to the executive order, that wasn’t the case. With the injunction in place, Ms. Roske could receive gender-affirming care, but if that injunction goes away, she could be denied it. So when I sentence her, I take into account that she is a transgender woman who will be sent to a male facility,” Boardman said.
Boardman also implied that a lack of acceptance of transgender people, including by Roske&#8217;s family, may have been partly to blame for the crime. Roske&#8217;s sister Olivia told the judge that years prior, Olivia had come out as gay to her family shortly after being discharged from a mental institution. Boardman said that Nicholas &#8220;saw that their parents struggled to reconcile her sexuality with their religious beliefs,&#8221; and that Roske&#8217;s mother &#8220;had not been open to her daughter’s gender identity.&#8221;
In court, Roske&#8217;s mother, Colleen, told the judge that she had reformed her ways.
&#8220;I have attended PFLAG [Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays] meetings and learned more about the LGBTQ+ community. I am committed to going on this journey with Sophie,&#8221; she said tearfully.
Judge Boardman said she was &#8220;heartened&#8221; that the attempted assassination had led to increased acceptance of Roske&#8217;s transgenderism.
“After her daughter’s arrest, Colleen discovered that her daughter was transgender. When she was cleaning out her room, she found hospital discharge paperwork that described her as Sophie. I am heartened that this terrible infraction has helped the Roske family get the help she needs and accept their daughter for who she is,” she said.
Boardman acknowledged that Roske&#8217;s plot to kill Kavanaugh was explicitly so “he would be replaced by someone Biden picks so they wouldn’t repeal gay rights or abortion.” Roske&#8217;s defense attorneys acknowledged that the &#8220;terrorism enhancement&#8221; should apply, but Boardman chose to waive some of the increased penalty that it triggers, saying “Any prison time in punishment for her. The length doesn’t need to be particularly long to punish her, and the length isn’t the only factor — unduly harsh conditions make a difference too.”
In Reddit posts, Roske described himself as a transgender woman who is attracted to women, not men; he appeared entirely male in court.
Following the sentencing, Attorney General Pam Bondi said <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1974254662971756551">on X</a> that the Justice Department would appeal the “woefully insufficient sentence.”
Roy believes the judge violated her oath of office by not administering her sentencing &#8220;impartially&#8221; and by &#8220;not upholding the &#8216;good behavior&#8217; that Judges must abide by.&#8221;
&#8220;Judge Boardman should be impeached swiftly and without reservation,&#8221; Roy added.
Republican Senators Ted Cruz (Texas) and Mike Lee (Utah) have called for Boardman&#8217;s impeachment. Shortly after the sentence, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced a bill that would &#8220;Prevent judges from using perceived gender-identity as a factor when determining the length of a sentence,&#8221; and another that would prohibit housing transgender inmates with members of the opposite biological sex.

Menu

Amber Jo Cooper and Luke Rosiak

Chip Roy Moves To Impeach Judge Over ‘Absurd’ Sentence For Attempted Kavanaugh Assassin