Donald Trump-appointed judge resigns in Alaska, sparking speculation

Judge Joshua Kindred of the federal district court in Alaska, appointed by Donald Trump, notified the court of his resignation on July 3, according to records available on the United States Courts website.

The position of U.S. District Court Judge for Alaska appears on the website’s list of future judicial vacancies, stating that the position will be available for filling on Monday, July 8, when the resignation will become effective. On the entire list, which now includes a total of 27 vacancies, Kindred’s position is the only one that has been vacated by resignation; all other judges have been promoted, retired, or assumed senior status — a form of semi-retirement.

The federal judge’s resignation is highly unusual because the appointment is for life. Kindred was born in 1977 and was confirmed by the Senate in February 2020, so he is not eligible to continue receiving pay for the rest of his life, which would have been the case had he served longer.

Newsweek reached out to Associate Judge Kindred and the U.S. District Court of Alaska for comment by phone early Friday morning, outside normal business hours, and could not be reached. The U.S. courts were contacted by email.

Like any other public official, judges can voluntarily resign for a variety of reasons, including personal circumstances, health issues and career changes. It is unclear why Kindred resigned, and this story will be updated as comment is received.

Kindred’s brief stint on the bench has sparked questions and speculation on social media, with many wondering why the judge resigned. Some social media users have assumed it may have been a money-related decision. “Low pay for hard work compared to being a private judge,” one X user speculated on the social media platform.

Other social media users speculated about why they wanted to be more private. “It may be something personal, but this raised the red flag of ‘scandal,’” wrote another.

Landmine in Alaskawhich describes itself as a local, unbiased news outlet, addressed “rumors” about the “Kindred scandal.”

“Rumors of a scandal involving Kindred have been circulating for a year. The only way to remove a federal judge is through impeachment, unless she resigns,” the news agency wrote on X on Friday, without specifying which “scandal” it was referring to.

A later post added that the resignation letter from Kindred consisted of “only two sentences.”

But that is just speculation: The reason Kindred resigned less than five years after Trump nominated him to fill the seat vacated by Judge Ralph Beistline remains unknown.