This week's decision by judge Aileen Cannon to consider ex-President Donald Trump's request to appoint a special master in the master of his unauthorized retention of Top Secret material at his Mar-a-Lago golf resort after leaving office, represents an extraordinary conflict of interest. Judge Cannon was appointed to her current post by the very man who stands before her under criminal investigation. Trump's filing of this request in Judge Cannon's court, rather than in the nearest district court only miles from Mar-a-Lago, is widely being interpreted as an attempt to shop around for a friendly judge. Judge Cannon's decision to review the request and to rule on it is ethically highly suspect. The ethical norm in questions of recusal is to avoid even the appearance of possible conflict of interest; in this case, Judge Cannon has gone far over that bright line.

Judge Cannon, in the defense of your own reputation and the integrity of our judiciary, you must recuse yourself from all matters regarding Donald Trump.