FBI Director Removes Tweet Regarding Wisconsin Judge's Arrest; Reason Behind Actions Not Specified
Let's Talk About the Milwaukee Judge Arrest
The far-right, conspiracy-loving Kash Patel, who just so happens to be the director of the FBI, recently tweeted about a Wisconsin judge's arrest, only to mysteriously delete the post shortly afterward. In his tweet, Patel accused Judge Hannah Dugan of obstructing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and later retweeted the same message with no explanation for the initial deletion.
Here's what Patel had to say in his since-deleted tweet from 10:11 a.m. ET:
"Just NOW, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on charges of obstruction-after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week."
"We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject-an illegal alien-to evade arrest," Patel continued.
Looking like he's convinced he's in a cheesy 1980s cop show, Patel went on to write, "thankfully our agents chased down the perp on foot," and called the judge's actions "an increased danger to the public." Patel ended his tweet by saying he would "have more to share soon."
When you try to visit the deleted tweet's original URL, you'll now see a page that reads, "Hmm...this page doesn't exist. Try searching for something else." Patel's new version of the tweet appears to have the same wording, but it's unclear why the initial tweet was deleted. The U.S. Department of Justice didn't immediately respond to questions about Patel's tweet emailed on Friday.
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, ICE agents arrived at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 18 to arrest a Mexican citizen in Judge Hannah Dugan's courtroom. The newspaper reports that Dugan directed the ICE agents to the chief justice's office, and the man ICE was trying to arrest left through a side door. The Journal-Sentinel consulted five experts, but opinions on Dugan's alleged conduct were mixed, with none thinking she should be criminally charged.
The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed on Friday that Dugan was arrested around 8:30 a.m. local time (9:30 a.m. ET) on courthouse property. Dugan appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries and has been charged with two felonies, obstruction and concealing an individual[1][2][3][4].
In the court hearing, Dugan made no comment, but her attorney stated, "Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety"[1][2]. A former federal prosecutor in Milwaukee, Franklyn Gimbel, who spoke with the Journal-Sentinel, called her arrest "outrageous," and noted that the FBI could have simply invited her to show up and surrender herself[1].
Before becoming the FBI director, Kash Patel served as a board member for Trump Media, the company that owns Donald Trump's Truth Social[1]. He made at least $2.6 million from consulting and media deals and has a history of embracing the QAnon conspiracy theory, publishing a list of so-called deep state officials to target, and promising to "come after" the media[1].
Judge Hannah Dugan, 65, got her bachelor's degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1981 and earned her JD in 1987[1]. She was elected to the county court, Branch 31, in 2016 and worked at Legal Action of Wisconsin and the Legal Aid before that.
There's a history of similar cases in the federal judiciary. In 2019, President Donald Trump prosecuted a federal judge in Massachusetts, but the case was dropped in 2022 during the Biden administration[1]. Trump has made it publicly known that he intends to target judges as a means of imposing his brand of fascism in the United States[1]. His friend Elon Musk, the head of DOGE, has frequently called for the persecution of judges. Musk tweeted about the case on Friday, writing, "More judicial corruption."
The FBI director's actions and accusations against Judge Dugan raise questions about the role of law enforcement in immigration cases, as well as the limits of judicial discretion and the constitutional rights of all parties involved in the judicial system.
Insights:
- Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested and charged with obstruction and concealing an individual after a court hearing involving an undocumented immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz.
- She allegedly directed ICE agents away from Flores-Ruiz, who left through a side door.
- ICE agents eventually arrested him outside the courthouse.
- Dugan entered a not guilty plea and has since been suspended from her judicial duties.
- Kash Patel, the FBI director, tweeted about Dugan's arrest and later deleted the post.
- Patel's cryptic actions surrounding the tweet and his history of conspiracy theories and political activism raise questions about his objectivity and the FBI's role in immigration cases.
[1] Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel[2] Associated Press[3] U.S. Marshals Service[4] U.S. Department of Justice
- The arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, has sparked questions about the future of technology and policy-and-legislation regarding immigration, with Kash Patel, the FBI director, raising concerns about obstructive actions by judges.
- Gizmodo, a leading tech news outlet, has been following the Dugan case closely, as it highlights a significant intersection of technology, politics, and crime-and-justice, with the FBI director's controversial tweets and history raising concerns about general news reporting and corporate relationships.
- Patel, who has a history of supporting conspiracy theories and promoting controversial views, has used his position to voice criticism of Judge Dugan and influence public opinion, highlighting the role of technology and social media in shaping political discourse and policy.
- As the future of technology and technology policy continues to evolve, attending to issues such as government accountability and the separation of powers will become increasingly important, with the Dugan case serving as an example of the lasting impact of these factors on the lives of individuals in the legal system.
