The Sketchy Smear Against Georgia's Supreme Court Candidates
Trump-appointed judges used an emergency docket to green-light accusations with no hearing, due process, or right of reply before an election.
On Sunday, June 17 – two days before Georgians voted to fill seats on the Georgia Supreme Court – Trump-appointed federal judges intervened to allow a Republican-controlled judicial commission to publish unproven allegations against both Democratic-backed candidates, Miracle Rankin and Jen Jordan.
This came after a federal district court imposed a temporary restraining order on the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission’s (JQC) candidate letter, ruling that their pre-election public accusation likely violated the First Amendment and blocks due process under the 14th Amendment.
On April 27, 2026, the JQC, which is tasked with reviewing judicial misconduct complaints, issued statements accusing the two candidates, who are both endorsed by high-profile Democrats, of violating Georgia code barring judicial candidates from supporting one another in elections.
The Alleged Offenses:
Releasing a joint campaign ad
Speaking at reproductive freedom events
Accepting endorsements from pro-choice organizations
The JQC, primarily composed of Republicans and appointed by Republicans, gave the candidates three days to respond. Under JQC Rule 29, a three-person special committee can bypass every procedural safeguard and release a public statement of alleged violations.
But the allegations had no findings of wrongdoing and the candidates were not granted a hearing or any way to correct the record before votes were cast. Instead, the candidates were smeared by an unreviewed public accusation, coming just before Election Day with no way to fight back.
Here’s what Lauren Groh-Wargo, Fair Fight CEO had to say: “This decision should concern every American who believes elections should be decided by voters, not by government accusations that carry no due process. The playbook is clear: abuse judicial power to file a complaint just before Election Day, invoke emergency clauses to ignore safeguards, and smear your political opponents with no recourse. Voters deserve to make choices based on fair information. From the corrupt Roberts Court to a Federal district court in Georgia – Trump-appointed judges can’t help but abuse their power to advance the Republican Party’s agenda.”
Background: Chief Judge Leslie A. Gardner of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia recognized the constitutional problem. In Jordan v. Darrisaw, she issued a temporary restraining order blocking the JQC from publishing the statement. Judge Gardner ruled that the candidates’ speech, appearing at reproductive rights events and touting endorsements from groups like EMILYs List, is protected by the First Amendment. She found the candidates would suffer immediate and irreparable harm from unreviewed public accusations in the final days of an election.
Following the decision by Judge Gardner, two of three judges on an 11th Circuit panel overrode the decision. Trump appointees, Judges Luck and Newsom, used an emergency docket mechanism typically reserved for urgent appeals like death penalty cases to intervene, ignoring Supreme Court precedent.
In the dissent, Judge Kidd found the emergency standard was not met. The temporary restraining order was narrow and it did not stop the investigation or exonerate the candidates. It simply preserved the status quo long enough for the constitutional questions to be properly heard.
Why This Matters:
No hearing was held and no finding of wrongdoing was made. The JQC’s own statement acknowledged it was not a final determination.
Under JQC Rule 29, a three-person Special Committee can bypass every procedural safeguard and release a public statement of alleged violations in the closing days of a campaign with no hearing, no right to appeal, and no mechanism to correct the record before votes are cast.
The speech they targeted is constitutionally protected. Chief Judge Gardner ruled that speaking at reproductive rights events and accepting endorsements from pro-choice organizations is a protected First Amendment activity.
A Republican-controlled body targeted Democratic-backed candidates – two days before an election.
Rankin and Jordan are backed by former President Obama, former Vice President Harris, and national Democrats. Their opponents are backed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group organization, Frontline Policy Action.
Trump-appointed judges overrode a federal court to let it happen. Judges Luck and Newsom used an emergency docket mechanism reserved for death penalty cases to override Judge Gardner’s temporary restraining order – ignoring Supreme Court precedent.
This sets a blueprint for silencing future candidates. Opponents can file a complaint weeks before Election Day, invoke the emergency clause, and let the Special Committee publish. This becomes a new tool for suppressing political speech at the moment it is most important.
In solidarity,
Fair Fight Action Team
Thanks very much for this excellent reporting! Please share it with Marc Elias on the Democracy Docket. He is keeping track of all the cheating by the Republicans to hijack the 2026 elections. I feel sure he would be interested in sharing this information with his large audience. Also, please consider sharing it with Brian Tyler Cohen and Glenn Kirschner.