From Federal Judge Wolf — Why I Am Resigning

Federal Judge Mark L. Wolf Resigns to Speak Out Against Trump's "Existential Threat to Democracy"

Date: November 9, 2025

This story is real and broke today (November 9, 2025). U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf, a senior federal judge in Massachusetts appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, formally resigned from the bench on Friday, November 7, and published a first-person essay in The Atlantic titled "Why I Am Leaving the Federal Bench" (sometimes reported as "Why I Am Resigning"). In it, he describes President Trump's actions as an "existential threat to democracy and the rule of law," accusing the administration of weaponizing the Department of Justice to target political adversaries while protecting allies, friends, and major donors from accountability—echoing the concerns raised in recent discussions.

Full Text of the Essay (Paywall-Free Gift Link): Why I Am Leaving the Federal Bench - The Atlantic (Direct gift link for unlimited access)

Standard link (may hit paywall): https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/11/federal-judge-resignation-trump/684845/

Key Details on Judge Wolf and His Background

  • Appointment and Career: Reagan nominated him at age 38 after Wolf served as a prosecutor in the Justice Department. He took senior (semi-retired) status in 2013, but senior judges retain lifetime tenure and can still hear cases. His full resignation ends that entirely, freeing him from judicial ethics rules that bar sitting judges from public political commentary.
  • Why Now? At 78, Wolf says he's joining other former officials (including ex-judges and ambassadors) to fight what he sees as systemic corruption. He compares Trump's overt actions to Nixon's covert ones: "What Nixon did episodically and covertly, knowing it was illegal or improper, Trump now does routinely and overtly." He plans to speak out, support lawsuits, and advocate for sitting judges who can't.

Specific Accusations in the Essay

Wolf highlights several examples of what he calls partisan abuse of the legal system:

  • Dismantling offices that could investigate presidential corruption (e.g., firing inspectors general, eliminating the FBI's public-corruption squad).
  • Shielding donors: He references a 2024 Mar-a-Lago dinner where oil executives allegedly gave $1 billion to Trump's campaign in exchange for reversing environmental regulations—actions Wolf says may skirt bribery laws, especially with potential post-inauguration immunity.
  • Targeting enemies: Pursuing investigations/prosecutions against political opponents while dropping or ignoring cases involving allies.
  • Broader threats: Increased violence against judges (death threats, harassment) amid rising corruption risks, which he links to eroded checks on power.

He frames this as undermining impartial justice, a core democratic pillar he's defended for 50+ years (as a prosecutor, judge, and international speaker on rule of law).

Reactions and Broader Context

  • White House Response: Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson called judges pushing "personal agendas" unfit for the bench and said complaining ones should "at least have the decency to resign" before speaking out—implying Wolf did the right thing by quitting, while dismissing his views as radical.
  • Trump-Aligned Voices: Some legal figures echoed the White House, framing it as sour grapes from anti-Trump judges.
  • Supporters of Wolf: Progressive outlets and former officials praise it as courageous; he's part of a wave of Reagan/Bush-era appointees (e.g., J. Michael Luttig) criticizing Trump as a threat to norms.
  • Coverage Spread: Major outlets like NYT broke it widely today. No prominent conservative sites (e.g., Fox, Breitbart) had dedicated stories as of now, but earlier Trump-era judicial spats show pushback from the right.

This fits into ongoing 2025 tensions: Trump's second term has seen clashes over executive power, DOJ independence, and judicial threats. Wolf's Reagan credentials make his critique harder to dismiss as purely partisan—it's from someone who served under Republicans but sees current actions as crossing into authoritarian territory.

Spelled-Out Sources and Links

Here are direct links to the key sources referenced above (from major outlets across the spectrum for balanced viewing):

Post authored and formatted by Grok and ChatGPT under the direction of Shane Shipman for DFW SAS Blog — November 9, 2025

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