A federal magistrate judge who apologized to the suspect accused of plotting an assassination attempt against President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner has a history as a sharp critic of Trump-era federal prosecutions, a Fox News Digital review of his background found.
“To me, it’s extremely disturbing that he was put in five-point restraints, a person with no criminal history. It’s troubling,” said Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, referring to suspect Cole Allen’s jail treatment on Monday. “I never heard of one Jan. 6 defendant who was put in five-point restraints or in a safe cell. If the only way to keep him safe is the most punitive thing, that’s a problem.”
“At a minimum, I should be apologizing to him. We are obligated to make sure he’s taken care of. Mr. Allen, I’m sorry that things have not been the way they are supposed to,” said Faruqui.
Faruqui, appointed as a U.S. magistrate judge in 2020, has previously clashed with federal prosecutors in Washington over Trump administration law-enforcement surge cases, accusing U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office of overreaching by bringing some matters in federal court that he said belonged in local court.
Faruqui was selected by judges of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to serve an eight-year term as a magistrate judge in 2020. At the time of his September 2020, appointment, the court’s active Article III bench was composed of 15 judges — 11 appointed by Democratic presidents and four appointed by Republican presidents.
He was sworn in by then-Chief Judge Beryl Howell, an Obama appointee who has faced ethics complaints and criticism from Trump allies over her handling of Trump-related matters.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly cast the D.C. federal bench as hostile terrain for the administration, accusing judges in the district — including Chief Judge James Boasberg, who has drawn Trump’s ire in high-profile immigration litigation — of anti-Trump bias in politically charged cases.
The Allen hearing was not the first time Faruqui’s handling of a Trump-related threat case drew backlash from federal prosecutors. Last year, he clashed with Pirro’s office amid the case against Edward Alexander Dana — who was accused of threatening to kill Trump while in police custody on vandalism charges — before it was dismissed.
Pirro issued a statement at the time accusing Faruqui of having an “allegiance to those who violate the law.”
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“This judge took an oath to follow the law, yet he has allowed his politics to consistently cloud his judgment and his requirement to follow the law,” Pirro wrote last year. “America voted for safe communities, law and order, and this judge is the antithesis of that.”
At the time, Faruqui said the government owed Dana an apology, arguing the department’s rush to charge and its repeated dismissal of cases showed “too many misfires.” Faruqui used the moment to preach about equality, adding the message that “people who look like Mr. Dana” is to “be very afraid” saying the country is “past the point of constitutional crisis.”
Faruqui also played a role in Jan. 6, 2021, cases, when protesters breached the U.S. Capitol. Lawmakers and political figures called out Faruqui, saying that he did not show the same level of concern for the Jan. 6 protesters as he did for Allen.
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“Strange that not a single judge in DC had a thought anywhere close to this for any of the Jan 6 people they maliciously prosecuted,” wrote Donald Trump Jr. on X.
“As a former judge for over a decade, I am appalled by this judge’s condemnation of law enforcement and prosecutors who were simply doing their jobs to address the safety of this would be Trump assassin,” wrote Republican Florida Sen. Ashley Moody on X.
“Apologizing and coddling the man who attempted to kill the President of the United States and his cabinet is embarrassing to the entire judiciary,” she added. “This judge has no business being on the bench let alone on this case.”
“I thought perhaps the article with its headline about the judge apologizing to the assassin was from The Babylon Bee,” wrote former Clinton pollster Mark Penn on X.
“What planet could this judge possibly be on? Does he not remember what happened to Lee Harvey Oswald? Does he not realize that mixing him at this point would be a danger to him? And not realize that putting him on suicide watch was a perfectly realistic action given Allen never expected to survive the attack? Sometimes it just seems like an upside down world,” Penn added.
Allen faces federal charges, including attempted assassination and firearms offenses, and could face life in prison if convicted.
Fox News Digital reached out to Faruqui’s chambers on Tuesday.