The husband of federal judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, who ruled that the mask mandate on public transportation was illegal because she claimed it led to torture and detention, is a former Trump administration appointee who was hired earlier this year as counsel for Jared Kushner’s new, Saudi-financed investment fund.
Chad Mizelle, who was the former assistant counselor to the president as well as former chief of staff and acting general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security.
Judge Mizelle has been widely criticized for her ruling for making her decision without hearing arguments, for citing debunked information, and for overextending the impact of her decision to all public transportation instead of just the parties involved in the case. She was just seven years removed from law school after Trump appointed to her to the bench, from a position as an associate at a law firm who had never argued a case before a court. She gained her seat on the bench despite being judged “not qualified” by the American Bar Association during her confirmation hearings.