The Senate Judiciary Committee has invited Supreme Court Justice John Roberts to testify at a May 2 hearing on the court’s ethics issues.
The Senate Judiciary Committee tweeted:
BREAKING: @SenatorDurbin is formally inviting Chief Justice Roberts to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 2nd.
This follows an unacceptable stream of revelations from judges who fall short of the ethical standards expected by the American people.
— Senate Judiciary Committee (@JudiciaryDems) April 20, 2023
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The Senate Judiciary Committee wrote to Chief Justice John Roberts warning him that he must clean up the SCOTUS ethics issues, aka Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett, or the Senate would interfere.
Nothing happened at the Supreme Court, so the hearing is a first step toward Senate action.
Given what Clarence Thomas is up to, the Supreme Court is in dire need of ethics codes and an independent panel of oversight. Passing codes of ethics for SCOTUS but allowing the current group of seemingly corrupt conservative judges to police themselves is a terrible idea.
Getting a Supreme Court ethics bill through the Senate might be an impossible challenge, but effort must be made, and a series of hearings on the ethics issues will serve to draw attention and increase the pressure on Roberts to act.
The consultation will not solve the problem, but it is a start. Chief Justice Roberts will certainly decline to testify, and if he refuses to appear and answer questions, it will make the need for ethics reform at the Supreme Court even more urgent.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House press pool and congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His thesis focused on public policy with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and professional memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association
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