It was U.S. District Judge John Bates who blocked some of Trump's attempts to remove some government-run websites regarding gender ideology - and this effort fell under the big plan to take down USAID, according to USA Journal News:
The executive order targeting “gender ideology extremism” was in the crosshairs of Bates, who wrote that the government would be unable to provide a remedy to affected individuals “during an appointment time to a patient who cannot return in the future.” Bates’ ruling is one of more than a dozen decisions that have obstructed President Trump’s early efforts to dismantle large portions of the federal bureaucracy. In response, Republicans have intensified calls to curb the power of district judges to issue nationwide injunctions.
Meanwhile, judges like Bates with ties to the agencies under review are now facing scrutiny. One investigation revealed that Bates’ wife, Carol Rhees, founded a nonprofit that receives direct funding from USAID to support relief efforts for children in Ethiopia.
Those reporting on that organization claim it received tons of money through federal grants. But now it may be unclear how that money was really spent and who truly benefited from it.
If a federal judge has any ties to USAID, then why are they even allowed to make decisions on things DOGE is doing? Is that not a conflict of interest?