Clarence Thomas revelations spur bipartisan Senate bill for Supreme Court code of conduct
Kaelan Deese
Video Embed
Following revelations of undisclosed gifts and real estate sales involving two Supreme Court justices, a pair of senators introduced bipartisan legislation to require a new code of conduct for the nine-member court.
Sens. Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) are supporting the “Supreme Court Code of Conduct Act,” which would compel the high court to form an ethics code and appoint an official to review complaints or potential conflicts of interest, according to a press release.
MCCONNELL BLASTS DEMOCRATS’ EFFORTS TO ‘SMEAR AND DEFAME’ CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES
“The American public’s confidence in the Supreme Court is at an all-time low. Americans have made clear their concerns with the transparency — or lack thereof — coming from the Supreme Court and its justices,” Murkowski said.
Murkowski added that any “cracks” in the public’s confidence could be damaging to the nation’s democracy.
Meanwhile, King wrote that a Gallup poll released last year found that 25% of U.S. residents say that they have confidence in the Supreme Court.
After the justices voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, public confidence slipped to historic lows. The Supreme Court’s approval has since regained some trust, with 44% of respondents saying they approve of the high court’s work, according to a Marquette Law School poll last month.
It’s unclear how much support the senators will garner for the legislation. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spoke out in defense of the justices Wednesday after Democrats called on Chief Justice John Roberts to testify on ethics matters, and he declined.
Scrutiny against the court has been increasingly centered on ethics after it was revealed Justice Clarence Thomas took lavish trips with Dallas-based GOP donor Harlan Crow and engaged in an undisclosed real estate transaction with Crow. And this week, Politico reported that Justice Neil Gorsuch didn’t disclose the name of the buyer of a piece of property he sold before his confirmation in 2017, which happened to be the CEO of a major firm with business before the court.
While the Supreme Court does not have an enforceable code of ethics, Roberts affirmed in a letter signed by the full court on Tuesday that lower courts do consult the ethics guidelines that apply to all federal judges.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“The Justices, like other federal judges, consult a wide variety of authorities to address specific ethical issues. They may turn to judicial opinions, treatises, scholarly articles, disciplinary decisions, and the historical practice of the Court and the federal judiciary. They may also seek advice from the Court’s Legal Office and from their colleagues,” Roberts wrote.
In his letter declining an invitation from Senate Democrats to testify, Roberts cited the “importance of preserving judicial independence” and noted testimony from chief justices “is exceedingly rare.”