Trump Judge’s Disastrous Side Hustle Revealed

Politics admin August 6, 2026 0 Comments

A federal judge handpicked by Donald Trump ran a D.C.-based PR firm for months after she was appointed to the bench, before it eventually collapsed.

Jennifer Mascott, of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, continued serving as a managing trustee at Adfero for at least six months after she was confirmed as a judge in October 2025, Politico reported.

Mascott, who inherited her ownership stake in Adfero from her late husband, who died in 2023, even went into the company’s offices around once a week to work while also carrying out her judicial duties.

Staff became increasingly uncomfortable with Mascott juggling both roles, with so many employees leaving that the company ultimately shuttered in June.

Mascott, a former clerk for then-D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, began managing Adfero at the beginning of 2025 at the request of her late husband.

Despite vowing during the confirmation process to recuse herself from matters involving the company and its clients to avoid conflicts of interest, she continued working there for several months.

Former Adfero employees told Politico they were unsure of the legality of Mascott leading the firm while also serving as a federal judge.

“It was never fully addressed out in the open, but people definitely brought it up in their one-on-ones with their managers,” one former employee said. “There were whispers of, ‘Is she even allowed to be doing this?’”

One former client cited Mascott serving as both a judge and Adfero’s leader as the main reason they sought services elsewhere.

“She came in and was running the organization while being a federal judge, and it got very weird,” said the former client. “All of a sudden, staff started leaving, and we saw that as an inflection point that it was time to move on.”

Others also expressed concern that Mascott began bringing in consultants with strong GOP ties, such as Ben Stout, a former deputy chief of staff for MAGA Rep. Lauren Boebert, despite the company previously being nonpartisan.

Eventually, Adfero staff became so disgruntled with Mascott remaining in her role and the direction she was taking the company that employees began leaving en masse.

“At one point, about a year ago, we were getting one resignation a month,” one former employee said. “But then it quickly turned into one person a week, around January, and then it quickly turned into one person a day.”

In a statement, Mascott defended her handling of the company’s collapse after it had been in business for 20 years.

“Consistent with those fiduciary and legal and ethical duties, I endeavored to keep the company going while that was viable and also routinely consulted with long-time firm HR lawyers and other advisors and legal and ethical experts about how to comply with all requirements and how to evaluate whether the company should be wound down, sold, or otherwise entrusted to other firm leadership,” she told Politico.

The Daily Beast has contacted Jennifer Mascott for comment.