KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Carlos Murguia, a federal judge in Kansas accused last year of sexual harassment of court employees, has submitted his resignation.
The resignation is effective April 1, according to a memo from Julie Robinson, chief judge of the U.S. District of Kansas.
Murguia, who was appointed to a federal judgeship in 1999 by then-President Bill Clinton, was the subject of an investigation that started in 2018. The resulting report from the 10th Circuit Judicial Council found that Murguia made unwanted and suggestive comments to female employees.
Murguia worked out of the Robert J. Dole Federal Courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas.
The 10th Circuit court also found that Murguia had an extramarital affair that could have put the him in a position of compromise or extortion. Also, the report said Murguia was habitually late to court proceedings because he played basketball during his lunch breaks.
Robinson's statement said that between now and April 1, Murguia would assist in an orderly transition of his administrative duties. The cases under his watch will be immediately reassigned to other judges.
The Star reported last Friday that cases involving employment discrimination had been assigned to other judges in the U.S. District of Kansas.
Murguia is resigning his commission without eligibility for pension or any retirement benefits, Robinson's statement said.
Murguia resigned with "a heavy heart and profound apologies, out of respect for the federal judiciary, my colleagues, my community and _ most importantly _ my family."
