Maine State Rep. Laurel Libby is sounding the alarm over the state's defiance of President Donald Trump's executive order demanding an end to biological males competing in women's sports. (Getty/Maine House of Representatives)
While Walker's explanation shed some light on the reasoning behind the mass recusal, it failed to specify the exact nature of the conflict of interest. A Fox News Digital analysis of public records found that the transgender high school athlete at the center of Libby's censure lawsuit – filed after she posted a photo of the athlete competing before transitioning – shares a last name with someone working in the U.S. District Court system for the District of Maine.
"It seems like there was a reasonable explanation for those judges to recuse, that they all did have a close relationship with someone related to the athlete," said Carrie Campbell Severino, president of the Judicial Crisis Network. Severino said, when asked about the possible familial link: "My concern now is – how has this next judge been chosen? Because there are lots of questions about whether this judge is actually able to be impartial in the case."
Melissa R. DuBose was commissioned into the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island on Jan 2, 2025. (U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island)
Severino said it was "hard to imagine" that DuBose would be able to provide a fair trial in Libby's case, which centers on highly contentious LGBTQ issues.
"It's not clear to me how it was decided it was going to go to Rhode Island, as opposed to another jurisdiction nearby. There are other adjacent states the case could theoretically go to," Severino pointed out. "Now that it has been moved, there are further concerns about the ability of this judge to be impartial."
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Libby declined to comment for this article, citing ongoing litigation. Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, who is a defendant in Libby's case, also cited the same reason for not wanting to comment. Maine House Clerk Robert Hunt, another defendant, did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/maine-judges-mass-recusal-trans-sports-case-raises-unanswered-questions