America First Legal (AFL) has raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest involving Judge John McConnell, who recently blocked President Trump's temporary spending freeze. The organization claims that Judge McConnell's ties to Crossroads Rhode Island, a non-profit organization, compromise his impartiality.
According to AFL, Judge McConnell has been associated with Crossroads Rhode Island for nearly two decades. During this period, the organization reportedly received over $128 million in government funding. This includes more than $42 million from 2020 to 2023 alone. AFL alleges that these financial connections were not fully disclosed by Judge McConnell when he ruled against the Trump Administration's spending freeze.
Judge McConnell is said to have held various positions at Crossroads Rhode Island since 2006, including Chair of the Board from 2011 through 2021 and Vice Chair before that. Despite stepping down as Chair, he remains listed as Chair-Emeritus and appears on the organization's IRS Form 990 each year since taking his federal bench position in 2013.
The AFL highlights that Crossroads Rhode Island received significant government funding during Judge McConnell's tenure on its board. In Fiscal Year 2023 alone, it reportedly received over $18.6 million in government funds. The state of Rhode Island, a plaintiff in the lawsuit against Trump's spending freeze, is one source of this funding.
Federal law requires judges to disqualify themselves if their impartiality might be questioned or if they have fiduciary responsibilities or interests affected by case outcomes. AFL argues that given Judge McConnell's longstanding ties and fiduciary duties to Crossroads Rhode Island, there is an appearance of bias in his ruling.
Reed D. Rubinstein, America First Legal Senior Vice President, stated: "Given the heightened public scrutiny of this case and the profound Constitutional implications inherent in binding the actions of the President of the United States, the appearance of a conflict of interest is highly problematic."
AFL calls for Judge McConnell to vacate his temporary restraining order (TRO) and recuse himself from further proceedings related to this case.