WASHINGTON − Chief Justice John Roberts told an audience he is committed to ensuring the “highest standards of conduct” at the Supreme Court as pressure has mounted from congressional Democrats for changes in the wake of a series of scandals involving Justice Clarence Thomas.
Without offering specifics or addressing the recent controversies directly, Roberts framed the ethics debate as an “issue of concern inside the court.”
“I want to assure people that I am committed to making certain we as a court adhere to highest standards of conduct,” Roberts said Tuesday night at an American Law Institute dinner, his first public remarks on the issue since a new wave of scrutiny has been heaped on Thomas and other justices on the high court. “We are continuing to look at things we can do to give practical effect to that commitment.”
Roberts, who has fiercely defended the court’s independence since becoming chief justice in 2005, said he was “confident there are ways to do that that are consistent with our status as an independent branch of government under Constitution’s separation of powers.”
What to know about Roberts’ latest remarks on ethics
- What it means: Roberts’ line about “separation of powers” is a response to increasing pressure from Senate Democrats to approve legislation on Supreme Court ethics, such as requiring a code of ethics. Roberts has resisted those proposals in the past, arguing that Congress should avoid legislating the internal workings of the judicial branch.
- Thomas: The back-and-forth has followed a series of stories in ProPublica that revealed private jet trips and luxury yacht travel that Thomas accepted from Harlan Crow. The GOP megadonor also purchased property from Thomas and his family – none of which was reported on annual disclosure forms. Earlier this week, Crow’s attorneys declined to provide more information about the gifts to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
