{"id":2478848,"date":"2025-08-26T06:54:02","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T10:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-judge-facing-federal-charges-rakes-in-50k-in-pay\/"},"modified":"2025-08-26T06:55:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T10:55:21","slug":"wisconsin-judge-facing-federal-charges-rakes-in-50k-in-pay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-judge-facing-federal-charges-rakes-in-50k-in-pay\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisconsin Judge Facing Federal Charges Rakes In $50K In Pay"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwisconsin-judge-facing-federal-charges-rakes-in-50k-in-pay%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2478848&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan has been suspended and is facing federal felony charges for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant evade law enforcement. Despite her suspension by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April, Dugan continues to receive her full salary and benefits, costing taxpayers nearly $49,000 since her removal from the bench. She has established a legal defense fund, raising nearly $140,000 to hire prominent lawyers to defend her. Dugan claims judicial immunity and insists the charges should be dropped, but a U.S. magistrate rejected her motion to dismiss, stating that judicial immunity does not apply in criminal cases.<\/p>\n<p>Dugan is accused of obstructing the arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz,a previously deported illegal immigrant facing battery charges,by misdirecting ICE agents during a court proceeding and escorting Flores-Ruiz out through a non-public courthouse exit.If convicted, she could face up to six years in prison and a $350,000 fine. The Wisconsin Supreme Court placed her on administrative leave &#8220;in the public interest,&#8221; but she continues to be paid, prompting lawmakers to propose legislation to freeze pay for suspended judges. Recently released bodycam footage shows Dugan denying the allegations to police shortly before her arrest, calling media reports false despite the ongoing examination.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Suspended while she faces charges for allegedly helping a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >violent illegal immigrant elude <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bank-of-america-is-without-the-knowledge-or-the-consent-of-customers-sharing-private-info-with-feds-tucker-carlson-reports\/\" title=\"Bank Of America \u2018Is Without The Knowledge Or The Consent\u2019 Of Customers \u2018Sharing Private\u2019 Info With Feds, Tucker Carlson Reports\">federal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/public-radio-reporter-arrested-for-firebombing-police-cars\/\" title=\"Public Radio \u201cReporter\u201d ...ed For Firebombing Police Cars\">law enforcement officials<\/a><\/a><\/a>, Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan continues to collect full pay and benefits on the backs of Badger State taxpayers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge has raked in $48,997 in pay since the Wisconsin Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/05\/01\/wisconsin-supreme-court-removes-federally-charged-judge-from-the-bench\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suspended<\/a> Dugan from the bench in late April, according to information obtained through an open records request by The Federalist. Dugan&rsquo;s biweekly pay rate is $6,712, with an annual salary of $174,512, according to the Wisconsin Court System.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Dugan has established a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hannahdugandefensefund.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">legal defense fund <\/a>to pay for a high-powered team of lawyers that includes former Solicitor General Paul Clement and former federal prosecutor Steve Biskupic. In its first three weeks, the fund had raised nearly $140,000, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/06\/09\/dugan-raises-137k-for-defense-fund-but-wont-name-donors-until-2026\/84056839007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according to<\/a> the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Dugan doesn&rsquo;t have to report on who gave what until next year, the news outlet reported.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Judge Hannah Dugan deserves a full and aggressive defense,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hannahdugandefensefund.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">states<\/a> the fund website, which bills the federal felony charge against her as &ldquo;the prosecution of America&rsquo;s independent judiciary.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>&lsquo;Denied&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>The judge insists that she is immune from prosecution, that she has the right to do as she pleases in her courtroom &mdash; apparently up to breaking the law. She argues that the charges should be dropped.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Magistrate Nancy Joseph disagrees. <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/07\/10\/magistrate-trial-should-go-on-for-wi-judge-accused-of-helping-illegal-alien-flee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Last month,<\/a> Joseph found Dugan&rsquo;s arguments &ldquo;unconvincing&rdquo; in recommending Dugan&rsquo;s motion to dismiss the charges be denied.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is well-established and undisputed that judges have absolute immunity from civil lawsuits for monetary damages when engaging in judicial acts. This, however, is not a civil case,&rdquo; the magistrate wrote in her thorough, <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.wied.111896\/gov.uscourts.wied.111896.43.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">37-page decision.<\/a> &ldquo;Accordingly, I recommend that Dugan&rsquo;s motion to dismiss the indictment on judicial immunity grounds be denied.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Dugan has been <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/05\/01\/wisconsin-supreme-court-removes-federally-charged-judge-from-the-bench\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">charged<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/69943125\/1\/united-states-v-dugan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">felony obstruction and misdemeanor concealing an individual<\/a> to prevent arrest. She is accused of aiding previously deported illegal immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz&rsquo;s brief escape from federal law enforcement officials in April while he was appearing in front of Dugan on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.gov\/news\/2025\/04\/25\/milwaukee-judge-obstructed-arrest-illegal-alien-accused-strangulation-battery-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">battery charges<\/a>. Dugan faces up to six years in prison and a $350,000 fine if found guilty.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As The Federalist has <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/06\/04\/wi-judge-charged-with-helping-illegal-alien-evade-ice-has-a-case-of-judicial-privilege\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported,<\/a> FBI agents <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/04\/25\/milwaukee-judge-faces-federal-charges-of-obstructing-arrest-of-illegal-alien\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested<\/a> Dugan on April 25 at the courthouse, a week after the judge, according to the criminal complaint, misdirected federal agents, delaying them from apprehending Flores-Ruiz. The illegal immigrant was set to appear before Dugan for a pretrial conference on three misdemeanor counts of domestic battery. Flores-Ruiz is expected to be deported again after he serves a federal prison term for violating immigration law, Milwaukee&rsquo;s ABC affiliate, WISN, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisn.com\/article\/immigrant-milwaukee-judge-arrest-deportation-after-prison\/65163713\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The criminal complaint states that Dugan was &ldquo;visibly angry&rdquo; in confronting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who appeared with an administrative warrant to take the illegal alien into custody. After sending the law enforcement officials to the chief judge&rsquo;s office, Dugan escorted Flores-Ruiz and his legal counsel out of the courtroom through the &ldquo;jury door,&rdquo; which leads to a non-public area of the courthouse, according to the charges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>&lsquo;Extended Vacation&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>The state Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wispolitics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/250429SC_Dugan.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">placed<\/a> Dugan on administrative leave, stating in an order that doing so was in the &ldquo;public interest.&rdquo; But the embattled judge still collects a regular paycheck despite being &ldquo;prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the state of Wisconsin &hellip; until further order&rdquo; of the court.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.legis.wisconsin.gov\/2025\/proposals\/ab380\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bill<\/a> introduced by Republicans in the state legislature would freeze the salaries of suspended judges. The proposal is currently tied up in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>State Rep. Shae Sortwell, who introduced the bill, said taxpayers should not have to &ldquo;fund an extended vacation&rdquo; for Dugan while paying for reserve judges to fill in for her. He noted that the Wisconsin Supreme Court in May <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/news\/wisconsin-supreme-court-suspends-dane-county-judge-ellen-berz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suspended<\/a> a Dane County Circuit Court judge without pay for judicial misconduct.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Judicial suspension policy needs to be proper and consistent to ensure taxpayer dollars are not being wasted,&rdquo; Sortwell <a href=\"https:\/\/pro.stateaffairs.com\/wi\/press-releases\/rep-sortwell-legislation-introduced-to-prevent-tax-dollars-for-suspended-judges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said <\/a>in a press release.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Recently released police body cam video shows Dugan telling local police officers in an unrelated incident three days before FBI agents arrested her that media reports asserting she was under investigation were &ldquo;all lies.&rdquo; The reports were indeed true.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What I&rsquo;m worried about is just the whackos that will believe this story, which is not true,&rdquo; Dugan told officers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisn.com\/article\/bodycam-video-shows-judge-dugan-deny-allegations-against-her\/65872495\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according to<\/a> the footage obtained by the Journal Sentinel. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not being investigated by the feds. The FBI was not there, you know. ICE was there. I directed him down the hall to the administrative offices. What happened after that is their business. I did not hide this migrant in the jury room or in my chambers. I had him leave out the back door, which I do when the circumstances warrant it. And these are the circumstances that warrant it: I had a room of 30 people, and I just sent him out the door.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s all lies.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>New police bodycam video shows Milwaukee Co Judge Hannah Dugan, days after she&#8217;s accused of helping an undocumented immigrant evade ICE agents, deny all allegations against her when talking with MKE police who were called to her home for an unrelated threat <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bkNrQHOhWb\">pic.twitter.com\/bkNrQHOhWb<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&mdash; Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mattsmith_news\/status\/1958921695257141539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<hr>\n<p>      Matt Kittle is a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist. An award-winning investigative reporter and 30-year veteran of print, broadcast, and online journalism, Kittle previously served as the executive director of Empower Wisconsin.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Suspended Judge Dugan still receives full pay amid charges<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":656,"featured_media":2478849,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-25-at-12.13.06-PM.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[36411,50433,33211,11543,4124],"class_list":["post-2478848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-federal-charges","tag-judge-2","tag-legal-news","tag-salary","tag-wisconsin"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-25-at-12.13.06-PM.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/656"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2478848"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2478852,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478848\/revisions\/2478852"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2478849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2478848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2478848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2478848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}