Tell Congress: Pass a Supreme Court Code of Conduct
U.S. Congress
Another Supreme Court justice has been caught taking free, unreported trips from billionaire GOP megadonors.
That’s right: Justice Samuel Alito took an unreported $100,000 private jet trip to Alaska on billionaire donor Paul Singer’s dime. [1] And it all comes back to Leonard Leo, the same right-wing Federalist Society executive who covertly funneled money to Justice Clarence Thomas’s wife. [2]
And similar to Justice Thomas, Alito never recused himself from the cases his billionaire benefactor’s hedge fund had before the Court.
Just months ago, we learned that Justice Clarence Thomas received potentially millions in massive undisclosed gifts and luxury travel from a billionaire benefactor. Now, new reporting from ProPublica reveals Samuel Alito following suit.
These scandals have gone unaddressed for embarrassingly long. Common Cause first shined a spotlight on this problem in 2011, and we’ve been demanding a strong code of conduct for the Supreme Court’s ethics ever since – because our highest court should be held to the highest ethical standards.
The Supreme Court’s legitimacy is under threat in part because of these repeated ethical lapses. Wealthy mega-donors should not be wining, dining, and flying Supreme Court justices to purchase access and influence. We deserve to have confidence that the Court’s decisions are fair, impartial, and based on the rule of law.
Every other judge – and other federal workers – are held to much higher standards to avoid even the appearance of corruption. The Senate has held high-profile hearings on this issue in recent weeks. And now it’s time for action. .
We can’t allow wealthy donors to buy Supreme Court votes – and even the appearance of this kind of corruption chips away at the public’s trust in our justices, the Supreme Court, and our democracy.
We need a transparent and binding Supreme Court code of conduct to ensure our justices are acting independently, honestly, and with respect for the law.
[1] https://www.propublica.org/article/samuel-alito-luxury-fishing-trip-paul-singer-scotus-supreme-court
[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/05/04/leonard-leo-clarence-ginni-thomas-conway/
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To:
U.S. Congress
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We need a binding, comprehensive code of conduct to prevent even the appearance of inappropriate influence on the court. Without it, our highest court will continue to suffer a crisis of confidence – even as these nine justices make decisions that affect every one of us every day.
Congress must pass a binding code of conduct for the Supreme Court – and ensure that our highest court is held to the highest ethical standards.