Investigate Supreme Court Ethics Violations and Pass Enforceable Reforms

Today I take pen in hand to write and urge you to use the remaining time in this Congress, and prioritize for the next, a plan to investigate the escalating ethics violations at the Supreme Court and pass robust, enforceable ethics reform legislation without delay. I’m heartily sick of the Chief Justice and his extremist colleagues. People across America have seen the Supreme Court erode our most fundamental civil and human rights. They’re imposing the rule of a few tech bros, fossil fuel interests, and similar cranks. It’s no secret why. Justice Clarence Thomas has, for decades, failed to disclose lavish gifts and luxury travel from billionaire donor Harlan Crow, and ProPublica has reported that Crow purchased three properties from Thomas, none of which were disclosed. These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a documented pattern of justices refusing recusals, accepting gifts from billionaires, and ignoring transparency requirements under the 1978 Ethics in Government Act. The nine justices on our nation's highest court are the only federal jurists not bound by a code of conduct. Every other federal judge must follow the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, which requires acting in ways that promote public confidence in the judiciary's integrity. The Supreme Court has ignored years of requests to adopt its own binding standards, so Congress must impose those standards by passing laws with immediate effect. Public confidence in the Court has plummeted to historic lows, and the Court's refusal to even send a justice to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in May 2023 makes clear it will not self-correct. Congress must pass legislation that includes a binding Code of Conduct for Supreme Court justices, an enforcement mechanism for ethics and recusal rules, and full transparency measures. Oversight and investigation into Justice Thomas and other reported misconduct must move forward alongside other work on court expansion and term limits. Inaction is not neutrality. It is a choice to excuse misconduct at the highest level of our judiciary. I favor equal justice for all, not the few with money. Thank you.