Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are set to hold a hearing on Supreme Court ethics reform.
The high court has been rocked by various reports about justice’s private lifestyles and failure to disclose gifts or key financial activity to the public. In response, many top Democrats such as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) have called for an ethics overhaul.
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Durbin invited Chief Justice John Roberts to appear before the panel’s hearing this week, but he declined, citing concerns about the separation of powers. It is very rare for a Supreme Court justice to testify about the court before a congressional panel.
“I’m disappointed that he did — but he declined. We’re going forward and I think we’re going to propose a bipartisan code of ethics,” Durbin told MSNBC. “I think we can come up with a bipartisan measure and move forward, and say to the Supreme Court: The highest court in the land should not have the lowest standard of ethics in the federal government.”
Some of the controversies plaguing the court include a ProPublica report that Justice Clarence Thomas went on luxury vacations that appear to have been funded in part by conservative billionaire Harlan Crow and didn’t disclose it. Crow also bought property from Thomas that wasn’t disclosed, per the report.
Then revelations emerged that Justice Neil Gorsuch sold property shortly before ascending to the court without disclosing it. The property was sold to an individual who leads a law firm that has participated in Supreme Court business in the past.
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There have also been reports about Roberts’ wife’s business dealings. All of these developments have fed fodder for Democrats displeased with the court’s rulings, particularly the overturn of Roe v. Wade last year.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has been leading an effort to enact a code of conduct for the court.
