WASHINGTON, D.C. – America First Legal (AFL) has uncovered a major conflict of interest involving the federal judge who recently issued a ruling halting President Trump’s temporary spending freeze — Judge John McConnell, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
AFL’s investigation reveals that Judge McConnell has a longstanding and ongoing affiliation with Crossroads Rhode Island, a non-profit that has received $128 million in government funding during his time on its board, and now stands to receive millions more.
Judge McConnell also previously served as the Chair of the Board and is still currently listed as the Chair-Emeritus. In fact, he has appeared as a Director on Crossroads Rhode Island’s IRS Form 990 every year since he took the federal bench in 2013. Despite his clear financial ties, Judge McConnell failed to fully disclose his decades-long entanglement with this federally-funded nonprofit and recuse himself from the lawsuit over President Trump’s temporary freeze of federal spending.
So when Judge McConnell ordered the federal government to resume payments to the plaintiffs, he ensured that an organization — on whose board he sat (and likely continues to sit) and to which he owed (and likely continues to owe) a fiduciary duty — would continue receiving tens of millions of dollars from the federal government.
Key findings from AFL’s investigation include:
- Judge McConnell has served on the Board of Directors of Crossroads Rhode Island for nearly two decades.
- In the past 15 years, 155 federal grants to Rhode Island state and local governments list Crossroads Rhode Island as a sub-awardee.
- In 2023 alone, Crossroads Rhode Island received at least $18.6 million in government funding.
- From 2020 to 2023, Crossroads Rhode Island received at least $42 million in government funds.
- So far in Fiscal Year 2025, Crossroads Rhode Island has already received nearly $2.9 million in government funding.
Here is the evidence.
For most of his time at Crossroads Rhode Island, Judge McConnell has served as Chair of the Board, a position he held from 2011 through 2021. Prior to serving as Chair, he was the Vice Chair from 2009 to 2010 and a member of the board from 2006 to 2008.
According to Crossroads Rhode Island’s 2023 Form 990, the organization received over $18.6 million in government funding, accounting for over half of its $30 million in revenue that year.
AFL’s review of required disclosure forms shows that since Judge McConnell became Vice Chair of the Board of Crossroads Rhode Island in 2009, the organization has received over $117.6 million in government funding through the end of 2023.
This includes over $42 million from 2020 to 2023 from government sources, including the state of Rhode Island, a named plaintiff in the lawsuit.
This year, Rhode Island government records show that Crossroads Rhode Island has already received nearly $2.9 million in Fiscal Year 2025 to provide various programs and services to Rhode Island, one of the plaintiffs.
This is significant because it is common practice for the federal government to disburse money to the states, which then hand it out to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Crossroads Rhode Island. In his ruling, Judge McConnell ordered taxpayer dollars to continue flowing to the states, including Rhode Island, writing, “[s]tates rely on federal funds to provide and maintain vital programs.”
USA Spending shows that in the past 15 years, 155 federal grants to Rhode Island state and local governments list Crossroads Rhode Island as a sub-awardee. In Fiscal Year 2023 alone, the organization’s audit shows that more than $10 million in federal funding flowed through Rhode Island to Crossroads.
In short, in the 18 years Judge McConnell has sat on the board of Crossroads Rhode Island, the organization has received over $128 million in government funding.
When Judge McConnell ruled against the Trump Administration and required federal taxpayers to continue funding the State of Rhode Island, he also ensured continued funding for his own non-profit, Crossroads Rhode Island.
Federal law, 28 U.S.C. § 455, requires judges to disqualify themselves “in any proceeding in which [their] impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”
The law further requires judges to disqualify themselves when they are a fiduciary or have any other interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding.
Directors of non-profits have fiduciary responsibilities to their organizations under Rhode Island Law. 7 R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-6-22(b). The Judicial Conference of the United States imposes the same rules in the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges.
Furthermore, Judges must avoid even the appearance of bias.
In the words of the Supreme Court, “An insistence on the appearance of neutrality is not some artificial attempt to mask imperfection in the judicial process, but rather an essential means of ensuring the reality of a fair adjudication. Both the appearance and reality of impartial justice are necessary to the public legitimacy of judicial pronouncements and thus to the rule of law itself.”
Judge McConnell has been on the Board of Crossroads Rhode Island for nearly 20 years. During that time, the organization has received at least $128 million dollars in government funding from the state of Rhode Island, a recipient of federal taxpayer dollars. Crossroads Rhode Island, to which Judge McConnell owes a fiduciary duty, stood to lose millions of dollars based on the outcome of his decision in the case. Given the heightened public scrutiny of this case and the profound Constitutional implications inherent in binding the actions of the President of the United States, the appearance of a conflict of interest is highly problematic, to say the least.
AFL demands Judge McConnell immediately vacate his TRO and recuse himself from this case without delay to comply with his ethical obligations.
Statement from Reed D. Rubinstein, America First Legal Senior Vice President:
“If, as the documents suggest, Judge McConnell has been a leader of Crossroads Rhode Island and if, as the documents also suggest, he knew or should have known that Crossroads Rhode Island would stand to benefit from his ruling against the federal taxpayers, then it seems he should have fully disclosed his entanglement with this federally funded organization upfront and recused himself from the matter. Yet, he did not do these things. The evidence raises serious questions that deserve serious answers,” said Reed D. Rubinstein.
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