Federalist Investigation Finds Democrat Donors Authored Section of Federal Judicial Center Science Manual

The Federalist reported that a key section of a manual used to advise federal judges on scientific evidence was written by individuals who have made financial contributions to Democrats and Democratic-aligned groups. The Federal Judicial Center, a taxpayer-funded agency that provides research and education to the federal judiciary, includes the material in its Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence.

A Federalist investigation examined the "Reference Guide on Forensic Feature Comparison Evidence" and reviewed Federal Election Commission records on the authors' donations.

Valena Beety, a law professor at Indiana University, is listed as one of the authors. She previously directed the West Virginia Innocence Project. Federal Election Commission records show she has made more than 100 contributions to ActBlue, a major Democratic fundraising platform, and has donated to Mississippi Democrat Scott Colom's 2026 Senate campaign.

Beety has written a forthcoming book titled Pink Crime: Fighting Against the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Queer Identity. The book description on her university biography states that it examines cases of women imprisoned for what it describes as "no crime convictions" and the use of criminal law regarding pregnant women, new mothers, and queer people.

Jane Campbell Moriarty, a law professor at Duquesne University, co-authored the section.

Federal Election Commission records indicate she donated to entities supporting the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris, to ActBlue, and to Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman's 2022 Senate campaign. Moriarty's academic background includes a B.A.

in philosophy from Boston College, a J.D. from Duquesne University, attendance at a neuroscience program at the University of Pennsylvania in 2010, and an M.A. in health care ethics from Duquesne in 2021.

She has written articles on behavioral and forensic science evidence as well as other topics. In a March 2025 article, Moriarty discussed what she described as a decline of expertise in the federal government. The piece addressed actions by President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk.

The Federalist previously reported on another section of the same manual, a since-retracted "Reference Guide on Climate Science," whose authors were described as holding left-leaning views. That reporting also noted citations to left-wing climate advocates in the climate section. The Federal Judicial Center states that it provides objective information and education to the judicial system.

The manual is intended to assist judges in assessing science-related matters that arise in federal cases. The investigation forms part of broader scrutiny of the center's materials and their potential influence on judicial decisions involving scientific evidence.