Since the story of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepting luxury trips and gifts from a billionaire benefactor and GOP megadonor broke earlier this year, an avalanche of revelations have exposed unethical conduct off the bench from multiple justices. The mounting pile of ethics scandals has cast a shadow over the Supreme Court, sending public faith in the institution plummeting. It’s clear that the Supreme Court has a supreme ethics problem. But our nation’s most powerful court cannot be its least accountable. Sign our petition to demand the Supreme Court be held to higher ethical standards now. The Supreme Court is the only court in the country that is not bound by a code of conduct. The justices are trusted instead to use the code of conduct of lower courts as guidance — but that has led to them opting in and out of ethical behavior as they please. It is increasingly clear that the Supreme Court justices need a measure of accountability. An ethics code would be the first step in protecting the actual and perceived integrity and independence of the Supreme Court. Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act, which would not only put in place a code of conduct but tighten recusal and financial disclosure obligations for the justices. We’ve made it clear that we wholeheartedly endorse this bill, but it’s critical that our representatives hear directly from you. Sign the petition now to demand an ethics code at the Supreme Court. Thanks for reading.  Sarah Turberville
Director of the Constitution Project
Project On Government Oversight | 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.