Law professor backs Donald Trump’s conflict-of-interest charge against federal judge

A Washington D.C. law professor has given credence to Donald Trump’s charge that U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel has a conflict of interest in a court case involving the likely Republican presidential nominee, saying the judge’s affiliation with a group that advocated for illegal immigrants creates “an appearance of impropriety.”

Mr. Curiel’s membership and active role in the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, whether or not it creates an actual bias, is enough to disqualify him from presiding over the case, said Victor Williams, a professor at Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.

“The standard isn’t that one has a personal bias and acknowledges such. That’s not the standard,” he said. “The standard is could there be an appearance of impropriety. That’s the standard.”

Mr. Trump has suffered stinging rebukes from Democratic and Republican leaders, including being labeled a “racist,” after he said last week that the judge’s Mexican heritage called into question his impartiality in presiding over a civil case against the billionaire businessman.

Mr. Trump is being sued by students who claim they were ripped off by the Trump University, which teaches courses in real estate strategies.

The lawsuit has become a painful distraction for the Trump campaign.

The judge’s affiliation with the La Raza Lawyers Association, which is politically active and supports rights of illegal immigration, “absolutely” meets the standard because Mr. Trump has taken a strong stance against illegal immigration and made it the centerpiece of his presidential campaign, the professor said.

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