WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), joined by U.S. Representative Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.-25), on Wednesday introduced their Supreme Court Ethics Act to require the United States Supreme Court to adopt a code of ethics for Supreme Court justices. Unlike every other federal judge, Supreme Court justices are exempt from the Code of Conduct for United States Judges—a binding code of ethics that ensures neutrality and transparency in our courts.
“The American people deserve to know that our Supreme Court Justices are being held to the highest ethical standards,” said Murphy. “I’m deeply concerned about the politicization of the Court. Our Supreme Court Ethics Act, which simply seeks to hold Supreme Court justices to the same standard as every other federal judge, will help hold the Court accountable to the people they’re appointed to serve.”
Blumenthal said, “There is no reason in law or logic that the members of the Supreme Court should be treated differently than any other federal judge. No Justice, any more than a judge, should advance a partisan cause or sit on a case involving a personal friend or interest. This legislation will preserve public trust and confidence – the lifeblood of the Supreme Court.”
“As the final arbiter of justice in this country, the integrity of Supreme Court justices must be beyond reproach. This legislation will help restore the public’s trust by requiring the Supreme Court to adopt a binding Code of Conduct just like the law already demands of every other federal judge in America. Many Supreme Court nominees have been federal judges who already are subject to a code of conduct, and there’s no reason they should be held less accountable as a member of our nation’s highest court. I thank Senator Murphy for his continued leadership on this, and I hope we can finally make this common sense legislation the law of the land,” said Slaughter.
“The repeated refusal of Supreme Court justices to adopt rules binding themselves to the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges leaves Congress with little choice but to act," said Aaron Scherb, Common Cause's director of legislative affairs. "We commend Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal and Representative Slaughter for re-introducing this important legislation to ensure that Supreme Court justices would have to live up abide by the same ethical standards that all other U.S. judges do."
U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) are original cosponsors of the bill.
Recent instances of dubious ethical behavior have increased scrutiny of the Court and eroded public confidence in the institution. Justices have allowed their names to be used to promote political fundraisers, attended seminars sponsored by high-profile political donors, failed to report family income from politically active groups, and failed to recuse themselves when deciding cases where there exists a conflict of interest. The Court’s recent pattern of siding with powerful corporate interests more often than preceding courts has also raised concerns among many observers.
In 2012, 212 legal scholars jointly urged the Supreme Court to adopt the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges. To date, more than 130,000 Americans have signed a petition to Chief Justice John Roberts, asking him to adopt a code of ethics for the high court. The public’s disapproval of the Court remains at a near historic high.
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