Washington, DC — People For the American Way today joined with allied civil rights organizations Alliance for Justice, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the National Women’s Law Center, and 97 additional organizations in a letter to the entire Democratic Senate caucus urging an immediate investigation into ethics practices at the U.S. Supreme Court. The letter follows revelations about leaks at the Court, including a full draft of the Dobbs opinion undermining reproductive rights eliminating the constitutional right to abortion and information about the result in the Hobby Lobby case, which reportedly was leaked to conservative activists prior to the announcement of the ruling.
The letter expresses deep concern over the “lack of independence and fairness of the United States Supreme Court in light of the most recent allegations about infiltration and influence” at the Court. In addition, signatories write, “We urge you to take immediate action launching an investigation into these and other reports that call into question the ethical standards to which Supreme Court justices are held. Additionally, we urge swift legislative action to implement judicial ethics reforms for the Supreme Court, and the continued prioritization of the confirmation of fair-minded federal judicial nominees who will respect and uphold the rights of all people, not just the powerful few.”
“The reputation of this Supreme Court is bad and getting worse, and that’s a disaster for a democracy that depends on our ability to trust our justice system,” said Svante Myrick, incoming president of People For the American Way. “There’s an ultraconservative cohort on the Court that is too cozy with the far-right activists whose agenda they share. Now, over a hundred good-government and civil rights organizations are calling for an investigation, and for legislation creating ethics standards for the Court – which are years overdue.”
The letter notes that Supreme Court justices are the only federal judges who are not subject to a code of ethics prescribed by law.
Read the letter here: https://www.afj.org/sites/default/files/wp/2022/12/101-Groups-Court-Ethics-Letter.pdf
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About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org.