Major Controversies Surrounding Jeanine Pirro: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Jeanine Pirro.

Jeanine Pirro is an American television host, author, and the interim United States attorney for the District of Columbia since May 2025. Previously, she served as a judge, prosecutor, and politician in New York. She is known for her outspoken conservative views and legal background, which she often leverages in her media appearances.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1986: Claim of Trial Successes

During her 1986 campaign for Lieutenant Governor of New York, Jeanine Pirro boasted about her success in trials.

1990: False Conviction of Jeffrey Deskovic

In 1990, during her tenure as district attorney, Jeanine Pirro oversaw the case where Jeffrey Deskovic was falsely convicted of murdering Angela Correa, leading to 16 years of wrongful imprisonment.

2005: Dispute Over Trial Numbers

In 2005, the number of trials personally handled by Jeanine Pirro was disputed by colleagues.

2009: Pirro claims Obama released ISIL leader

In 2014, Jeanine Pirro falsely claimed that ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was "released by Obama in 2009".

2014: Pirro calls for Obama impeachment

In 2014, Jeanine Pirro called for the impeachment of Barack Obama over the 2012 Benghazi attack.

2014: Pirro falsely claims Obama released ISIL leader

In 2014, Jeanine Pirro falsely claimed that ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was "released by Obama in 2009".

November 2017: Pirro charged with speeding

In November 2017, Jeanine Pirro was charged with speeding for driving 119 miles per hour in upstate New York.

2017: Pirro calls for arrest of Mueller investigation cooperators

In 2017, Jeanine Pirro called for the arrest of individuals who cooperated with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election in favor of Trump. Pirro called for government agencies to be "cleansed" of critics of the president and for several individuals to be arrested, including Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe and Peter Strzok.

February 2018: False Assertion in 'Liars, Leakers, and Liberals'

In February 2018, Jeanine Pirro made a false assertion in her book, 'Liars, Leakers, and Liberals', claiming that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had announced that the Russia collusion investigation was over, which was proven untrue by PolitiFact.

February 2018: Obama's policies blamed for domestic abuse scandals

In February 2018, Jeanine Pirro suggested that Barack Obama's policies were to blame for two Trump administration officials resigning due to domestic abuse allegations.

May 2018: Pirro claims Trump fulfilled biblical prophecy

In May 2018, Jeanine Pirro said that Trump had "fulfilled" a "biblical prophecy" by moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

June 2018: Pirro praises Trump's pardon of Dinesh D'Souza

In June 2018, Jeanine Pirro praised Donald Trump's pardon of conservative activist Dinesh D'Souza, who was convicted of "illegal campaign contributions". She also referred to Attorney General Jeff Sessions as "the most dangerous man in America" on her show.

July 2018: Pirro defends Trump after Helsinki meeting

In July 2018, after Trump was widely criticized for refusing to condemn Russian interference in the 2016 election while standing with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Jeanine Pirro defended Trump, questioning what else he could have done.

March 2019: Criticism of Ilhan Omar

In March 2019, Jeanine Pirro criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar on "Justice with Judge Jeanine", suggesting Omar's Muslim faith indicated loyalty to Sharia law over the U.S. Constitution.

March 16, 2019: Fox News Does Not Air Pirro's Show

On March 16, 2019, Fox News replaced Jeanine Pirro's show with a rebroadcast of a Scandalous episode after Pirro's controversial remarks about Ilhan Omar.

2019: Unpaid Campaign Debts

By 2019, Jeanine Pirro's campaign from four months prior had racked up $600,000 in debt to campaign vendors, which remained unpaid.

February 2020: Pirro predicts Democratic losses due to impeachment

In February 2020, Jeanine Pirro predicted that the impeachment of Donald Trump would be so unpopular that Democrats would lose their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2020 elections, a prediction later labeled spectacularly incorrect by Politico.

March 2020: Show hosted from home amidst speculation of inebriation

In March 2020, Jeanine Pirro hosted her show from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her delayed and disheveled appearance, along with slurred speech, led to widespread speculation of inebriation.

December 2020: Smartmatic demands retractions from Fox News

In December 2020, Smartmatic, a voting machine company accused of conspiring to rig the election, demanded retractions from Fox News for airing baseless allegations of fraud, including on Jeanine Pirro's program.

2020: False Claims of Voting Machine Fraud

Following the 2020 presidential election, Jeanine Pirro made false claims of voting machine fraud.

February 4, 2021: Smartmatic Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Fox Corporation

On February 4, 2021, Jeanine Pirro was named in the complaint "Smartmatic Files $2.7 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against Fox Corporation". Smartmatic claimed that Fox News Network, Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs, Jeanine Pirro, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell were primary sources of false information which were repeated by other media outlets, journalists, bloggers and influencers.

February 2021: Defamation Lawsuit by Smartmatic

In February 2021, Jeanine Pirro was named as a defendant in a defamation lawsuit by Smartmatic for broadcasting false statements about the company's voting machines.