Two Democrat-backed candidates running for Georgia Supreme Court seats violated existing judicial conduct rules, the state’s judicial watchdog agency found.
According to a Monday report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) determined that left-wing attorneys Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin broke the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct by publicly endorsing one another and pledging to “restore abortion rights” if elected. The JQC, “which investigates and prosecutes allegations of judicial misconduct, forms a special committee during election years to address allegations of ethical misconduct in campaigns for judicial office,” according to the AJC.
“In statements that became publicly available Monday, the JQC committee said it ‘reasonably believes’ that Jordan and Rankin violated the judicial code by publicly endorsing one another and promising to restore abortion rights,” the report reads. “The code applies to judges as well as those vying for a seat on the bench. The committee said a full JQC investigation could result.”
Both Jordan and Rankin have since published statements seemingly arguing the JQC’s findings are politically motivated.
As The Federalist previously reported, Jordan and Rankin are “abortion activists” and have telegraphed their intent to rule as left-wing partisans if elected in Georgia’s supposedly nonpartisan Supreme Court elections on Tuesday. The Democrat-backed candidates are looking to unseat incumbent Justices Charlie Bethel and Sarah Hawkins Warren, both of whom were appointed by former Republican Gov. Nathan Deal and won election in 2020.
Monday’s bombshell revelations only came to light following a favorable ruling from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. As described by the AJC, “The case was filed under seal at the start of May by Jordan and Rankin, who sought to temporarily block the JQC committee members from taking certain actions during voting.”
The 11th Circuit’s ruling temporarily paused a Friday district court order that prevented the JQC’s findings from being made public before Tuesday’s election. The judge who issued that order was Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner, the sister of former Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
According to the AJC, the 11th Circuit panel (2-1) “said if it didn’t stay Gardner’s order and allow the JQC statements to be published, ‘the public will be harmed by not knowing about, and getting to evaluate for themselves, the credible allegations of misconduct.’” Judges Kevin Newsom and Robert Luck, both Trump appointees, comprised the majority, while Judge Embry Kidd, a Biden appointee, dissented.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
