John J. McConnell, Jr.

John James McConnell Jr. (born 1958) is the chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.

Early life and education

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, McConnell was educated at the Bishop Hendricken High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1980 from Brown University and a Juris Doctor in 1983 from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Career From 1983 to 1984, McConnell worked as a law clerk to Rhode Island Supreme Court Associate Justice Donald F. Shea.

McConnell was active in politics, serving 14 years as treasurer of the Rhode Island Democratic State Committee. Before he became a judge, he and his wife were major donors to Democratic political candidates.

Federal judicial service On November 17, 2008, McConnell sent U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse a letter expressing his interest in being nominated for the vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island that had been created when Judge Ernest C. Torres assumed senior status. McConnell had previously donated $15,530 to Reed and $12,600 to Whitehouse. Reed and Whitehouse interviewed McConnell in February 2009. In April 2009, McConnell learned that Reed would recommend him to the White House for the nomination.

President Barack Obama nominated McConnell to the seat on March 10, 2010. On June 17, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee reported his nomination out of committee by a 13–6 vote. On May 4, 2011, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 63–33 vote and confirmed it by a 50–44 vote. On May 6, he received his commission.

Federal spending freeze On January 31, 2025, McConnell issued an injunction against the Donald Trump administration's federal government grant pause. His ruling relied on an opinion by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh from Kavanaugh's time as an appeals court judge. In an additional court order on February 10, McConnell wrote that the Trump administration had "continued to improperly freeze federal funds and refused to resume disbursement of appropriated federal funds". In retaliation, Laura Loomer allegedly doxxed McConnell's daughter Catherine by tweeting screenshots of her LinkedIn profile and highlighting her job in the Department of Education and related financial disclosures. Loomer asserted that the judge's daughter's employment constituted a conflict of interest for him. Elon Musk quote-tweeted Loomer's tweet.

Personal life McConnell is married to Sara, the daughter of former Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Donald F. Shea, for whom he had clerked. Their daughter Catherine previously worked for the U.S. Department of Education.