Oregon Judge recuses Himself From National Guard Case Due to Spouse’s Political Role
PORTLAND, OR – A judge in oregon has recused himself from a case involving members of the state’s national Guard, citing a conflict of interest stemming from his wife’s position as a Democratic state lawmaker. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Thomas Ryan stepped aside from the case concerning legal challenges to Governor Tina Kotek’s deployment of the national Guard to Portland amid ongoing protests.
Judge Ryan’s wife, Representative Suzanne Bonamici, has been a vocal critic of the potential deployment, publicly accusing President Trump of “lying” about the scale of protests and alleging a “gross abuse of power” in any federal intervention. Bonamici, along with other Oregon Democratic lawmakers, co-authored a letter to President Trump, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on september 27,2025,urging them to rescind any plans to deploy military personnel or federal agents to Portland. The letter argued such action would be “an abuse of executive authority” and “undermines the constitutional balance of power.”
The case centers on a lawsuit filed by civil rights groups challenging the legality of the National Guard’s presence in Portland, arguing it infringes on First Amendment rights and exceeds the governor’s authority.The deployment was initially discussed following clashes between protesters and law enforcement near an Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICE) facility.
bonamici previously stated on the social media platform Bluesky that she witnessed “a few peaceful protesters, not a ‘siege'” during a visit to the ICE facility on September 25, 2025, directly contradicting claims made by President Trump regarding the situation. She further elaborated on her concerns during a press conference, asserting the president “does not have the authority to send military troops to a city.”
