Marsha Blackburn's lawsuit against Jack Smith

Entire Middle Tennessee Federal Bench Recuses From Marsha Blackburn’s Lawsuit Against Jack Smith

Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s civil rights lawsuit against former Special Counsel Jack Smith has taken an unusual turn. Every sitting district judge in the Middle District of Tennessee has recused from the case, leaving the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to bring in a judge from outside the district.

Chief Judge William L. Campbell, Jr. signed a one-page order on October 5, 2026, in Blackburn v. Smith. The court did not provide a reason for the mass recusal. The order stated:

“All District Judges of the Middle District of Tennessee have recused in this matter. As such, a District Judge from outside the District will be designated by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. When the designation is made, the case will be reassigned.”

The immediate result is clear: the case will remain with the clerk until the Sixth Circuit selects a district judge from somewhere else in the circuit. No judge from the Middle District of Tennessee will handle the matter at this stage.

The report also says that when Smith’s team went to a federal judge in Washington, D.C., to obtain the nondisclosure order, the team reportedly concealed that the subpoena targeted a Republican member of Congress.

Those allegations are central to Blackburn’s claim that federal power was used against her while the investigation was hidden from public view.

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