Sen. Dick Durbin, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Thursday invited Chief Justice John Roberts to testify at a listening to about Supreme Court ethics.
Durbin, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, despatched a letter to Roberts inviting him or “another Justice whom you designate” to seem prior to the committee on May 2 for a listening to “regarding the ethical rules that govern the Justices of the Supreme Court and potential reforms to those rules.”
The invitation comes after ProPublica reports revealing shut ties between Justice Clarence Thomas and rich GOP donor Harlan Crow, together with actual property Thomas and his circle of relatives bought to Crow and in depth shuttle via Thomas that Crow facilitated or paid for. Those ties weren’t published on Thomas’ disclosure reviews.
In his letter, Durbin, D-Ill., famous that the ultimate time the Judiciary Committee heard from sitting justices on ethics was once in 2011.
Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts joins different contributors of the Supreme Court as they pose for a brand new staff portrait, on the Supreme Court development in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
“Since then, there has been a steady stream of revelations regarding Justices falling short of the ethical standards expected of other federal judges and, indeed, of public servants generally. These problems were already apparent back in 2011, and the Court’s decade-long failure to address them has contributed to a crisis of public confidence. The status quo is no longer tenable,” Durbin wrote.
Durbin advised newshounds he gave the court docket prior understand that the letter was once coming and that he anticipated Roberts to obtain it Thursday afternoon.
The panel would have restricted recourse to compel Roberts to testify if he refuses. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s endured absence as she recovers from shingles method the panel is deadlocked between Democrats and Republicans, somewhat than Democrats’ customary one-seat majority, and just a majority of contributors may vote to approve a subpoena for Roberts’ testimony.
It’s unclear if any Republicans would again this type of transfer.
Roberts had but to reply as of early Thursday afternoon.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas poses throughout a bunch portrait on the Supreme Court in Washington, October 7, 2022.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters, FILE
Democrats had been up in hands following the ProPublica reviews.
“This is beyond party or partisanship,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted previous this month. “This degree of corruption is shocking — almost cartoonish. Thomas must be impeached.”
Republicans, in the meantime, have in large part fallen in line in the back of Thomas.
“I have total confidence in the chief justice of the United States to deal with these court internal issues,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell mentioned this week, suggesting any ethics reforms must be left to the Supreme Court to resolve.
Crow, in the meantime, has time and again maintained his courting with Thomas integrated no wrongdoing and that he by no means attempted to affect Thomas’ paintings at the court docket.
“We have never asked about a pending or lower court case, and Justice Thomas has never discussed one, and we have never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue. More generally, I am unaware of any of our friends ever lobbying or seeking to influence Justice Thomas on any case, and I would never invite anyone who I believe had any intention of doing that,” Crow mentioned in a remark after the primary ProPublica file was once revealed.
In a remark ultimate Friday, Thomas mentioned, “Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over twenty-five years. As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them. Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable. I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines. These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance. And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future.”
ABC News’ Devin Dwyer contributed to this file.
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