Republicans must pay a price for spinelessness.

A federal judge in Rhode Island appointed by former President Donald Trump has referred several Justice Department attorneys to a disciplinary committee following serious accusations of misconduct in a legal case involving medical records of minors. U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy issued the referral under local court rules after previously delivering a strongly worded 24-page ruling criticizing the DOJ’s handling of the case. The dispute centered on a subpoena seeking patient records from Rhode Island Hospital related to gender-affirming care provided to minors. In her ruling, McElroy concluded that DOJ attorneys misrepresented and withheld information from both her court and a federal court in Texas. She also accused the department of engaging in forum shopping to obtain a more favorable jurisdiction for its demands. The judge described aspects of the DOJ’s conduct as a serious breach of ethical obligations, including what she called a failure of candor to the court. She further criticized courtroom behavior, noting that a junior attorney with limited experience was left to respond to judicial questioning while a senior attorney remained silent. McElroy ultimately quashed the subpoena entirely, ruling that it lacked proper legal authorization, was pursued in bad faith, and violated constitutional privacy protections for minors. She also barred the DOJ from accessing or using any of the requested patient-identifying information. The disciplinary referral underscores the severity of the judge’s findings and raises the possibility of formal professional consequences for the attorneys involved. The case has drawn attention for its implications regarding government subpoenas, privacy rights in medical contexts, and the ethical responsibilities of federal prosecutors.