FBI Director Kash Patel posted a perp walk picture of the Wisconsin judge who was arrested for allegedly misleading immigration agents and helping the man they were looking for.
Patel posted the picture with the tag line: "No one is above the law." The picture showed Judge Hannah Dugan being led to a car in handcuffs. Although her face was not shown in the picture, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told CNN that the picture violated Department of Justice (DOJ) policy.
"Whatever the issues with what the judge did, they're trying to maximize intimidation," Holder said in a statement to CNN.
According to the Confidentiality and Media Contacts Policy listed on the Justice Department's website, DOJ personnel "should not voluntarily disclose a photograph of a defendant unless it serves a law enforcement function or unless the photograph is already part of the public record in the case."
"The arrest is the point," Craig Mastantuono, an attorney for Dugan, told CNN. "It's a clear departure of the policy. There was no threat to public safety. She was not afforded the chance to come in and offer her side of the story."
Dugan was arrested on April 25 and charged with obstruction and concealing an individual from arrest.
Patel previously told NBC News that Dugan was arrested because she "intentionally misdirected federal agents" when the person they were looking for was set to appear in Dugan's court on a separate case. Patel told the network that although agents eventually caught the individual on foot, Dugan's "obstruction created increased danger to the public."
No one is above the law pic.twitter.com/TSrQ4GNMdA
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 26, 2025
