Civic term
Recusal
What it means
A judge's or official's withdrawal from a matter because their impartiality might reasonably be questioned — for instance a financial interest in the outcome, or a personal relationship with a party. The grounds for federal judges are set by statute.
Definition drawn from law.cornell.edu · last verified 2026-08-17
Sift's plain-language summary of the cited source, not a quotation from it.
How it's being covered
58 stories in Sift's index, from 18 outlets.
Filed 2026-03-30 — 2026-09-25.
Counts stories whose headline or summary uses the term, plus stories where Sift's own reading notes flagged it — many pieces turn on a term they never spell out in the headline.
Across the spectrum
- Left12 stories
- Center13 stories
- Right25 stories
Positions are AllSides' published ratings, shown for the outlets that filed these stories. 8 stories are counted in the total above but not placed here — either the outlet has no published rating, or Sift has not yet matched the name it files under to a dossier.
Who's covering it
- The HillCenter 9
- Fox NewsLean Right 5
- New York PostRight 5
- Washington ExaminerLean Right 5
- CBS NewsLean Left 4
- The GuardianLean Left 4
- The New York TimesLean Left 4
- The Washington TimesLean Right 4
- Times of India4
- CNBCCenter 2
- PBS NewsHourCenter 2
- ReasonLean Right 2
- The Daily CallerRight 2
- The Daily WireRight 2
- Deadline1
- ESPN1
- Foreign Policy1
- The Hollywood Reporter1
Recent stories on Sift
Senate Democrats question if Kennedy struck a deal in vaccine lawsuit
Magistrate Judge Declines to Recuse After Sanctioning Rabbi Shmuley Boteach for Violating Court Order in Anti-Semitism Lawsuit
Prosecutor who withdrew from dismissed Adani bribery case fired, sources say
Michigan Supreme Court Justices Took Campaign Cash From Jane Fonda Org Weeks Before Freezing Pipeline Project
Bryan Kohberger seeks judge’s removal in escalating bid to undo guilty plea
Transgender sex offender Richard Cox battles judge over revived charges and damning letters
Judge removed from Texas track meet stabbing case as defendant Karmelo Anthony seeks a new trial
Blanche Refuses to Say He’ll Always Be Independent of Trump as Attorney General
Samuel Alito gained up to $2.9m from oil and gas assets since joining supreme court, analysis shows
Todd Blanche’s Confirmation Would Have Been A Scandal in 1973
Son of judge overseeing gang rape cases of slain LSU student Madison Brooks is a convicted serial rapist: reports
ICE chief divests detention giant stocks, recuses himself from contracts: Warren