US Supreme Court adopts ethics code under pressure from multiple scandals

The following statements were made in the statement regarding the decision: “Most” of the rules are not new It is emphasized that the principles currently applied are simply codified. But it is admitted that the absence of code had a negative impact The court hypothesizes that “in recent years this has led to the mistaken belief that judges, unlike the rest of the nation’s jurists, view themselves as unrestrained by ethical rules.”

Trips, gifts and handouts

Attention to the situation of the Supreme Court has intensified in recent months. press investigations, Specifically, those developed by ProPublica will reveal which cases the judges will hear. accepted trips, gifts, and other gifts and did not report them related to influential characters And major donorsIn some cases, people who have an interest in cases that the court must decide.

The judges that attracted the most attention from these shadows were conservatives. Clarence ThomasIt also became the center of attention by political activism his wife, Ginnie Thomas, Allied with Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 election.

To: pressure public added policy and last week, Senate Democrats debated allowing subpoenas to gather more information about free rides from Thomas and another conservative judge. Samuel Alito, received Texas real estate mogul and Republican megadonor Harlan Crow And Conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo.

This Monday’s statement was signed by all nine justices. President John Roberts He declined a request to testify before the Senate judiciary committee in April. Separation of powers concerns.

Republicans had attacked Democrats’ legislative efforts to obtain more information or regulations, saying it was a U.S. response. political motivation Recent decisions by the Supreme Court with its conservative majority, such as removing constitutional protections for the right to abortion.