Judge Who Apologized to Trump Assassination Suspect Has History of Criticizing Trump-Era Prosecutions

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 the pattern.

"To me, it’s extremely disturbing that he was put in five-point restraints, a person with no criminal history. It’s troubling," Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui said Monday, referring to suspect Cole Allen's jail treatment. "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," Faruqui said.

Faruqui, appointed as a U.S. magistrate judge in 2020, has previously clashed with federal prosecutors in Washington over Trump administration law-enforcement cases. He accused U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office of overreaching by bringing some matters in federal court that 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 September 2020. The court’s active Article III bench at the time had 15 judges: 11 appointed by Democratic presidents and four 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 described the D.C. federal bench as hostile terrain. They have accused judges there, including Chief Judge James Boasberg, 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 in the case against Edward Alexander Dana, accused of threatening to kill Trump while in police custody on vandalism charges. That case was dismissed.

Pirro issued a statement at the time accusing Faruqui of having an "allegiance to those who violate the law."

"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. He argued the department’s rush to charge and its repeated dismissal of cases showed "too many misfires." Faruqui added that "people who look like Mr. Dana" should "be very afraid," saying the country is "past the point of constitutional crisis."

Faruqui also handled Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach cases. Lawmakers and political figures noted he did not show the same concern for those protesters as for Cole Allen.

"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," Donald Trump Jr. wrote 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," Republican Florida Sen. Ashley Moody wrote 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. This judge has no business being on the bench let alone on this case."

Former Clinton pollster Mark Penn wrote on X: "I thought perhaps the article with its headline about the judge apologizing to the assassin was from The Babylon Bee."

"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. He could face life in prison if convicted.

Fox News Digital reached out to Faruqui's chambers on Tuesday.