Rhode Island’s chief federal judge issued a scathing rebuke of the Trump administration after finding that a Justice Department attorney committed serious ethical violations by withholding critical information about a migrant murder suspect, leading to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency attack on a federal judge that placed her in personal danger.

Justice Department Attorney Found to Have Violated Ethics Rules

Chief Judge John McConnell announced that special counsel findings showed Kevin Bolan, a senior attorney in the Rhode Island US attorney’s office, deliberately concealed information about an outstanding homicide warrant when a migrant appeared before District Judge Melissa DuBose. Without knowledge of the years-old Dominican Republic murder warrant, DuBose ordered the release of Bryan Rafael Gomez from ICE custody. Bolan later admitted he withheld the information based on ICE guidance claiming law enforcement reasons prevented disclosure, despite the warrant already being public information.

The special counsel determined Bolan failed his obligation to maintain honesty and transparency before the court, though McConnell stopped short of recommending formal disciplinary proceedings. The attorney has apologized and demonstrated responsible conduct in other cases, according to the chief judge’s assessment.

ICE Press Release Put Judge in Danger

Following Gomez’s release, ICE published a press statement describing DuBose as an activist Biden judge who knowingly freed a violent criminal illegal alien wanted for murder. McConnell condemned the statement as an unfounded public attack containing false suggestions that DuBose knew about the homicide warrant when making her ruling. The chief judge emphasized that without the withheld information, DuBose’s bond decision was entirely appropriate under the circumstances presented to her.

The ICE press release remains posted on the agency’s website despite DuBose’s requests for its removal. McConnell warned that the false public statement created personal danger for the judge and damaged public confidence in federal courts. Authorities have not yet located Gomez for re-detention, highlighting the serious consequences of the breakdown in judicial process.

Part of Broader Pattern of Justice Department Problems

The Rhode Island case represents one incident among multiple professional failures by Justice Department attorneys over sixteen months of handling thousands of cases stemming from aggressive Trump administration deportation policies. Earlier in June, another Rhode Island judge referred several government lawyers for disciplinary proceedings after questionable conduct in litigation involving investigations into gender-affirming care for minors. McConnell warned Bolan that any future misconduct findings will result in severe sanctions, acknowledging the attorney’s lapse in judgment prioritized client instructions over court duties without deceitful intent.