“[N]ewly discovered evidence suggests that the federal judge presiding over claims levied against President Trump’s policy may have a serious conflict of interest.  The case involves President Trump’s order to temporarily freeze federal funding and was published by America First Legal on the X platform.

“As America First Legal (AFL) published on X, the judge presiding over the case has a ‘major potential conflict of interest.’  Judge McConnell appears to be on the board of a non-governmental organization (NGO) that receives funding as a sub-awardee from multiple federal agency grants, including the Department of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services.

According to AFL, Judge McConnell used to be the Chairman of the Board from 2011 through 2021 and is still listed as Chair-Emeritus.  Screenshots of Crossroads’ 2023 Form 990 show that Judge McConnell is still listed as a member of the Board and has been listed as a Director every year since 2006, including when he took the bench in 2013.”

“McConnell has held an 18-year leadership role in Crossroads Rhode Island, a $31 million nonprofit that gets over half its funding from federal money. It received more than $18 million in 2023 according to its tax exempt 990 form, first reported by researchers at America First Legal (AFL).

“AFL reported Crossroads Rhode Island received more than $128 million in federal and state funding by way of federal funding during McConnell’s time on the board.

The law also “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.” AFL posted on X.”

Another day, another judge — burdened by obvious conflicts of interest — rules against the Trump administration’s sane and necessary policies.

US District Judge John McConnell has ordered the reversal of Team Trump’s freeze on certain forms of federal assistance, yet he sat for nearly two decades on the board of a homeless services provider, Crossroads Rhode Island, rising to chair it — and the Crossroads group directly benefited from federal grants via the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the tune of more than $15 million since 2010.

This astonishing fact came to light thanks to a complaint filed against McConnell by America First Legal, a conservative watchdog group.

America First Legal, which began digging into McConnell’s past after he issued a preliminary injunction halting Trump’s freeze earlier this year, argued in a complaint filed to the Boston-based 1st Circuit Court of Appeals that the judge’s ties to Crossroads pose a conflict of interest.

The Trump-aligned legal group is pleading with the appeals court to “take all appropriate action to resolve these issues.”

“Despite his long-time entanglement with this federally funded organization, Judge McConnell did not recuse himself,” America First Legal wrote in a 13-page complaint obtained by The Post.

“His failure to do so may violate federal law and judicial canons of ethics, raises profound concerns about Judge McConnell’s judgment as an officer of the court, and his fitness for the bench.”

Andrew Block, senior counsel for AFL, told the Washington Examiner the documents reveal that the complaint against McConnell is “well sourced in contemporary news reports, property filings, and Crossroads’ own tax filings and audits.”

“There can be no question as to the facts underlying the complaint, and it is up to the appropriate authorities to take action,” Block added.

AFL noted that the audit, coupled with the questionable property transactions, suggests systemic problems may have occurred under McConnell’s board leadership that were never disclosed in court filings.