Cebull said he could 'understand why people would be offended.' | REUTERS Judge admits to anti-Obama email

The chief federal judge of Montana on Wednesday admitted to sending a racially charged email about President Barack Obama that seems to compare African-Americans to dogs, but denied circulating the note because it was racist, saying he only did it because it was “anti-Obama.”

The email, first obtained by the Great Falls Tribune, was forwarded by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull last week from his court email account to seven recipients — including his own personal email address — under the subject line, “A MOM’S MEMORY.”


“Normally I don’t send or forward a lot of these, but even by my standards, it was a bit touching. I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine,” Cebull’s email begins.

The text continues on to this joke: “A little boy said to his mother; ‘Mommy, how come I’m black and you’re white?’ His mother replied, ‘Don’t even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you’re lucky you don’t bark!’”

In an interview with the Tribune, Cebull acknowledged that the email was racist but maintained that he doesn’t consider himself a racist and that the note was meant to remain private.

“The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president, but this goes beyond not being a fan,” the judge told the publication. “I didn’t send it as racist, although that’s what it is. I sent it out because it’s anti-Obama.”

He also offered an apology, saying he could “understand why people would be offended.”

Cebull was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001 and has been the chief judge since 2008.

Asked about Cebull’s email on board Air Force One en route to Nashua, N.H., Thursday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said, “I saw that report. … I haven’t got anything really to say about it.”

Pressed on whether the president has seen the news, Carney said, “I don’t know.”

Federal judges are given life-time appointments, and can only be removed through congressional impeachment.

As explained to POLITICO by Steven Lubet, a professor at Northwestern Law School and an expert on judicial ethics, any individual can file a complaint to the chief judge of the circuit in which the offending judge sits (in Cebull’s case, the 9th circuit).

The chief judge then determines if the complaint has merit, in which case he or she may appoint a special committee composed of other judges to conduct an investigation. After this process, the panel may file a formal complaint that leads to another hearing to decide if disciplinary action is necessary. This hearing can only result in reprimand or censure, or the placement of limitations on the judges’ caseload, Lubet said.

“There’s a high degree of likelihood that there will be a complaint and that Cebull will apologize abjectly and promise it will never happen again. And on that basis, the complaint will be resolved, as it should be,” he speculated Thursday.

A spokesman for the 9 th circuit could not be reached for comment as of Thursday afternoon. Several of Cebull’s spokespeople also did not respond to requests for comment.

This article tagged under: Racism

Montana

Richard Cebull