(Headline USA) Democrats attacked the Supreme Court this week over a number of ethics controversies, specifically ones in which conservative justices were allegedly involved, and argued that Congress should impose tighter standards on the judiciary.
Senate Democrats specifically complained about Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and John Roberts for failing to properly disclose funded trips, property purchases, and outside connections that could have influenced the bench.
However, they failed to mention Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s improper disclosures.
Last year, Sotomayor was forced to correct a 2016 financial disclosure report and add to it six free or reimbursed trips that she had initially left off of it. For example, Sotomayor was given a free flight and hotel when she traveled to Rhode Island to give the University of Rhode Island’s commencement address. These gifts are required by law to be reported annually.
Also omitted from Sotomayor’s report were her trips to universities in Illinois, New Jersey, Alaska, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and in each case she received “Transportation, Lodging, and Meals” from the university, according to reports.
Roberts declined an invitation from Senate Democrats this week to testify during a hearing on Tuesday.
All nine justices signed a statement last month defending the court’s current ethical standards and reaffirming that they hold themselves to the highest standards possible.
“The justices … consult a wide variety of authorities to address specific ethical issues,” they wrote. “This statement aims to provide new clarity to the bar and to the public on how justices address certain recurring issues, and also seeks to dispel some common misconceptions.”
However, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, insisted that ethics reform is necessary regardless of whether the justices agree to it.
Durbin said Thursday in a statement that the justices’ explanation of their approach to ethics “raises more questions than it resolves.”
“Make no mistake,” he said, “Supreme Court ethics reform must happen whether the Court participates in the process or not.”
