Biglaw partner Francis G.X. Pileggi has claimed that Delaware federal judge Gregory Williams assaulted him around 15 years ago. At the time of the incident, both Pileggi and Williams were associates at Fox Rothschild. Pileggi alleges that the assault took place over a dispute regarding a political fundraiser.
These allegations have emerged in the midst of a motion filed by Pileggi for Williams to recuse himself from an ongoing employment case in which Pileggi is involved. The recent turn of events involves a motion filed for Williams to reconsider disqualifying himself from the case. Previously, Judge Williams denied the assault allegations and refused to recuse himself, claiming that there’s no evidence of any bias or animosity towards Pileggi or his client.
According to Bloomberg Law, Pileggi provides a detailed account of the alleged altercation at the political fundraiser. He claims that Judge Williams was irate for not being listed as a host on the fundraiser invitation and blamed Pileggi, who was a part of the finance committee for the event. Pileggi alleges that an enraged Williams stormed into his office, physically assaulted him, and then challenged him to a fight. This altercation, Pileggi claims, resulted in Williams being restrained by another attorney.
Judge Williams, it is worth noting, had recused himself previously from another case involving Pileggi. The recusal was made out of respect for public confidence in the court’s impartiality. In this case, Williams once again denied any physical altercation with Pileggi, asserting that he put the incident behind him years ago and harbors no personal bias or animosity against Pileggi or his client.