The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General found that Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Ruddy violated ethics rules when he drunkenly handed his business card to Florida police following a hit-and-run crash. Ruddy, known for his work on Operation Panama Express targeting cocaine smuggling at sea, was accused of driving drunk, leaving the scene of a crash, and attempting to leverage his position to evade consequences. The inspector general found that Ruddy engaged in misconduct by providing his work credentials unsolicited and driving drunk. Despite his actions, Ruddy remains an assistant U.S. attorney, and the Justice Department stated that all personnel are held to high standards of conduct.
Ruddy, a former Ironman triathlete, has a reputation for hard work and toughness in the courtroom. His work on PANEX has resulted in significant drug interdictions and arrests of suspected smugglers. However, most of the cases handled by Ruddy involve poor fishermen from Central and South America, who are often at the lowest rungs of the drug trade. Even though Ruddy’s blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit, state prosecutors did not charge him with hit-and-run or driving under the influence with property damage. Instead, he pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was placed on 12 months’ probation.
The night of Ruddy’s arrest, witnesses reported that he sideswiped an SUV at a red light, then continued driving without stopping. When police arrived at his home, they found Ruddy in a disoriented state, unable to walk without assistance, and failing a sobriety test. Despite this, he was not charged with hit-and-run due to lack of witnesses seeing him behind the wheel during the incident. The state attorney’s office in Hillsborough County defended the outcome, stating that holding Ruddy accountable was still achieved through the reckless driving charge.
Ruddy’s case highlights issues of professional misconduct and ethics within the Justice Department. Despite his actions, Ruddy’s status as an assistant U.S. attorney remains unchanged. The Justice Department emphasizes the importance of maintaining high standards of conduct for all personnel, including assistant U.S. attorneys. It is unclear what further actions, if any, will be taken against Ruddy in response to the findings of the inspector general’s report. Moving forward, it will be important for the Justice Department to address any potential consequences for Ruddy’s actions and ensure accountability for all personnel.
