The Biden-appointed judge overseeing a lawsuit against the Pentagon’s policy on trans-identifying individuals serving in the military is a prominent donor to Democrat political candidates and causes, The Federalist has learned.
On Tuesday, D.C. District Court Judge Ana Reyes granted a request from several trans-identifying service members to place a preliminary injunction on Executive Order 14183 and additional guidance related to the order. Signed by President Donald Trump on Jan. 27, the directive declared that the “medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria” is “inconsistent” with the “high standards for troop readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity.”
The edict instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to update the military’s medical standards within 60 days of the order’s issuance to reflect the president’s guidance. Hegseth effectively did so in a Feb. 7 memo, ordering pauses on “all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria” and “[a]ll scheduled, unscheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for service members.”
A separate Pentagon memo dated Feb. 26 revealed that the agency had begun to develop the process of removing trans-identifying troops from the service.
In a one-page order occupying her Tuesday ruling, Reyes directed the Trump administration to “maintain and continue Plaintiffs’ military statuses” and “take all steps necessary to effectuate” her decision.
The administration was further instructed to “provide written notice of th[e] Order by 5:00 pm eastern on March 21, 2025, to all branches of the Department of Defense and to any other entity responsible for implementing military policy.” Defendants must confirm with the court by 6 p.m. ET that same day that it has followed these orders, according to the ruling.
The preliminary injunction will not take effect until 10:01 a.m. ET on Friday, “unless stayed by an appellate court” before then.
Reyes’ willingness to block Trump’s order was evident throughout the case’s prior court proceedings — so much so that the Justice Department (DOJ) filed a complaint against the Biden appointee for allegedly engaging in “hostile and egregious misconduct” during the case’s Feb. 18-19 hearings.
In its filing, the DOJ claimed that Reyes — who is reportedly a member of the LGBT community — contested the validity of Trump’s order by disagreeing with the fact that there are only two sexes. According to the court transcript cited by the administration, Reyes said, “[T]his executive order is premised on an assertion that’s not biologically correct. There are anywhere near about 30 different intersex examples. So, someone who does not have just an XX or XY chromosome is not just male or female; they’re intersex. And there are over 30 potential different intersex examples.”
The complaint also accused Reyes of “questioning a Department of Justice attorney regarding his religious beliefs and then using him unwillingly as a physical prop in her courtroom theatrics.” Such purported aggression from the judge toward Hegseth and the administration’s order was also evident during last week’s court hearing, as described by Fox News.
While unbecoming of a judge, Reyes’ reported behavior is unsurprising given her fealty to leftist causes. From donating to Democrat campaigns to working alongside left-wing organizations, the Biden appointee’s track record calls into question her ability to remain impartial on political matters brought before her.
Show Me the Money!
One of the best ways to learn about someone is to look at what they spend their money on — and Reyes is no exception to that rule.
According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, Reyes has collectively given thousands of dollars to various Democrat candidates and causes throughout her professional career.
During her time working as a private lawyer, she donated to the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama (2012), Hillary Clinton (2008 and 2016), Kamala Harris (2020), and Joe Biden (2020). She’s additionally shelled out money to several Democrat House and Senate candidates, including the campaigns of Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
Reyes’ financial support for Democrats also extends to left-wing political action committees.
From 2021-2022, she gave more than $1,700 to Defeat by Tweet, which is “a Democratic-aligned super PAC that allows liberal donors to sign up to contribute as little as 1 cent to political organizers in battleground states for each time President Donald Trump posts to Twitter,” according to InfluenceWatch. The organization was reportedly launched with assistance from Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter.
According to its website, Defeat by Tweet has closed its operations since the 2024 election, with the group reallocating its “final resources and support” to Black Church PAC. The latter organization seeks to “mobiliz[e] churches and leaders nationwide to reclaim political power, fight [so-called] voter suppression, end mass incarceration, and heal communities impacted by gun violence.”
In 2020, Reyes gave numerous donations to Win the Era, a political action committee founded by failed 2020 presidential candidate and later Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Since at least 2013, Reyes has also given dozens of small-dollar donations to ActBlue, a Democrat-aligned fundraising platform that is the subject of congressional and state investigations over allegations that it allowed unlawful foreign monies to fund left-wing political causes.
Left-Wing Legal Career
Equally notable about Reyes is her time in the private sector as a left-wing lawyer.
According to her district court bio, Reyes spent the bulk of her legal career (2001-2023) working for the law firm known as Williams & Connolly LLP.
While at the firm, Reyes served as co-chair for Williams & Connolly’s International Disputes practice group and on its executive committee. Her legal work “focused on international litigation, representing foreign governments, foreign government officials, and multinational companies,” and also touched on “patent, legal malpractice, and other complex civil litigation matters.”
It was during her tenure at Williams & Connolly that Reyes notably litigated against the same president (Trump) whose policies she’s now ruling on as a federal judge.
In 2018, Reyes was part of the legal team representing plaintiffs in a challenge to an asylum rule implemented by the Trump administration. According to Courthouse News Service, the rule sought to make illegal immigrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border “outside a port of entry ineligible for asylum.”
A district court judge issued an August 2019 decision blocking the policy’s enforcement, which an action Reyes claimed was “a win for refugees.”
A quick search through Williams & Connolly’s website reveals the firm’s devotion to leftist orthodoxy.
The organization notably boasts an entire webpage touting its dedication to so-called “diversity and inclusion.” This includes a Williams & Connolly “Diversity & Inclusion Committee” and listed initiatives on how the firm aims to “enhance the diversity of the pool of candidates the firm considers and hires.”
Williams & Connolly also offers “Summer Associate Diversity Scholarships,” which the firm claims are eligible for “exceptional applicants with outstanding academic records, whose demonstrated desire to succeed, background, life experiences, interests and achievements can contribute to our firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
During the 2024 election cycle, 85.6 percent of Williams & Connolly employee contributions to federal candidates went to Democrats, while 14.4 percent went to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets. Similar trends among firm employees were also seen in prior election years.
Reyes’ legal work also includes spending pro bono time helping groups devoted to acquiring asylum for refugees, such as Human Rights First and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Both organizations seek to advance left-wing interests, with the latter promoting “a left-of-center view on gender issues, LGBT interests, the environment, and immigration,” according to InfluenceWatch.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
