The ideological divide on the nation’s high court disappeared last week in the face of Democratic attempts to impose congressional control over the bench.
In what can only be described as a rare and unified step, all nine justices on Tuesday released a joint statement reconfirming their commitment to an already existing general code of conduct. But their declaration went much further.
All 9 Supreme Court Justices Issue Rare Statement After Leftist Attacks On Conservative Justices.
https://t.co/UtfXmyqioq— CJ4America (@GrammyC4Zone) May 1, 2023
The justices marched in lockstep to condemn leftist proposals for independent oversight of the court, mandated compliance with ethics regulations, and demands for more transparency in cases involving recusal.
Democrats long for control of the Supreme Court after the conservative majority issued landmark decisions on issues such as abortion and gun control. Leftists in Congress clearly see the chance to ride questionable “ethics” complaints to assert dominance over the judicial branch.
However, the “Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices” clearly rejected this infringement on the time-honored principle of separation of powers.
The document asserted that “the justices…consult a wide variety of authorities to address specific ethical issues.”
The justices wrote that the unique joint statement “aims to provide clarity to the bar and to the public on how justices address certain recurring issues.” They added that the writing “also seeks to dispel some common misconceptions.”
The statement from the court included a letter from Chief Justice John Roberts declaring that he will not appear before a hearing as Senate Democrats want. The letter was addressed to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin (D-IL).
The statement and letter are certain to draw the ire of the left wing advocacy group Fix the Court.
The watchdog organization lobbies Congress to implement a high court code that would clearly run afoul of the Constitution. That fact does not deter executive director Gabe Roth.
He declared that “without a formal code of conduct, without a way to receive ethics complaints and without a way to investigate them, the Supreme Court has set itself apart from all other federal institutions.”
Durbin also did not appreciate being dismissed by Chief Justice Roberts and his eight colleagues. He claimed Thursday that the justices’ writing “raises more questions than it resolves.”
The Democrat further warned that “ethics reform” for the high court “must happen whether the Court participates in the process or not.”
