A federal judge in Georgia has become the focus of a highly unusual judicial misconduct controversy after reports surfaced alleging she engaged in an affair with a senior police official and was reprimanded following an internal investigation.
According to Bloomberg Law and reporting from Atlanta’s WSB-TV, U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross of the Northern District of Georgia was identified as the subject of a judicial misconduct report issued by the Eleventh Circuit. The reports cite sources familiar with the matter who say the allegations involved an extramarital relationship with Atlanta Police Department Deputy Chief Kelley Collier.
The allegations are striking not only because they involve a sitting federal judge, but because investigators reportedly concluded that the conduct created serious workplace concerns within chambers. According to findings cited in the judicial report, the alleged relationship involved sexual encounters in court chambers during business hours over a period of roughly two years. The report further stated that the conduct allegedly occurred within earshot of law clerks working nearby.
A special committee investigating the complaint reportedly concluded that the conduct demonstrated a “gross lack of judgment” and contributed to what it described as an uncomfortable and troubling workplace environment for clerks assigned to the chambers.
Despite those findings, the committee also noted that the judge had demonstrated what it called a strong capacity for rehabilitation and continued service. According to Bloomberg Law, Ross received a private verbal reprimand rather than more severe disciplinary measures.
🚨 Bloomberg Law has identified Eleanor Ross as the federal judge privately reprimanded after investigators found she repeatedly had sex with a police officer in chambers during business hours. The report said the affair raised conflict concerns and disrupted the courthouse… pic.twitter.com/SxT871vBcK
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 28, 2026
The controversy has now expanded beyond the judiciary. The Atlanta Police Department announced it has launched an inquiry to determine whether the police official referenced in the report is in fact one of its employees. While the judicial report did not publicly identify the officer by name, details contained within the findings reportedly match Collier’s position and career history.
The case has also drawn criticism from legal watchdog groups. Aliza Shatzman of the Legal Accountability Project argued that allegations of this nature undermine confidence in the court system and raise concerns about workplace conditions for judicial clerks.
The story gained additional attention because of Ross’s role in several high-profile cases, including the prosecution of reality television personalities Todd and Julie Chrisley. Ross presided over the case that resulted in lengthy prison sentences for the couple in 2022 before they later received pardons from President Donald Trump in 2025.
Following the reports, Todd Chrisley publicly called for Ross’s impeachment, arguing that the allegations raise questions about her conduct during the period she presided over his case.
As part of the resolution outlined in the judicial report, Ross reportedly agreed to write apology letters to former clerks interviewed during the investigation. She also pledged not to seek positions such as chief judge or membership on a Judicial Conference committee.
Ross, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Barack Obama in 2014, remains on the court. Meanwhile, questions surrounding the investigation and its findings continue to generate attention from legal observers and the public alike.
