Booker, Goldman Introduce Bill to Strengthen Ethics Oversight on the U.S. Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act, legislation aimed at promoting ethical conduct and accountability for ethics violations within the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. Representatives Daniel Goldman (D-NY-10) and Hank Johnson (D-GA-04) introduced companion legislation in the House.

Numerous allegations of ethical improprieties and undisclosed conflicts of interests and gifts, along with refusals to recuse by Supreme Court justices have eroded the public's trust in the Court and increased demand for more transparency and accountability in the nation's highest court.

The Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act is a critical first step towards improving ethical standards among the justices and holding justices accountable when they commit ethics violations. Specifically, the bill would establish two new offices within the Supreme Court:

1. An Office of Ethics Counsel that would provide regular ethics training and advise justices on ethics issues, including disclosing gifts and deciding when to recuse from cases
2. An Office of Investigative Counsel that would investigate potential instances of ethical impropriety by justices and report the findings to Congress.

"America is facing a constitutional crisis, and now more than ever, we need a Supreme Court that stands with the American people and defends the Constitution. Over the past several years, allegations of undisclosed gifts and conflicts of interest have undermined trust in the court's decisions, and we must take action." said Senator Booker. "I am proud to reintroduce legislation that holds Supreme Court Justices accountable for violating common-sense ethical standards, so that we can work toward restoring the trust in the Supreme Court the American people deserve."

"The highest court in the land should be held to the highest ethical standards-yet repeated revelations of ethical improprieties have eroded trust in our judicial system at a time when the need for that trust is so important," said Senator Hirono. "The American people should be able to trust that Supreme Court justices arrive at their decisions fairly and objectively. This legislation is a critical first step toward addressing ethics violations and increasing transparency to ensure Americans can have faith in the integrity of the Supreme Court."

"The Supreme Court has operated for far too long without an enforceable code of ethics and the result is a court plagued with ethical problems. From accepting gifts from those with interests before the Court, to luxury travel, the actions and conflicts of interest among several of the Justices have undermined public confidence in the Court. This legislation is a much-needed step in holding Justices accountable and establishing the means necessary to investigate instances of ethical impropriety," said Senator Schiff, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"It's no surprise that repeated allegations of Justices accepting lavish paid vacations and other conflicts of interest have decimated public trust in our nation's most powerful court. Since the Court has decided to disregard its ethical obligations, Congress must step in to hold Justices accountable," said Senator Welch. "This legislation is a necessary step toward increasing transparency and accountability in the Supreme Court and restoring public trust in this vital democratic institution."

"Americans have lost trust in our nation's highest court," said Representative Goldman. "For the health of our democracy, we must restore faith in the Supreme Court by holding Supreme Court justices to the same ethics standards as all other federal judges. This legislation is a critical first step to ensure that the highest court no longer has the lowest ethical standards."

"We need to restore public confidence in the Supreme Court, and that comes from true transparency and accountability," said Representative Johnson, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee over Courts. "The Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act would provide that accountability by creating an Office of Investigative Counsel within the Court to probe potential instances of ethical impropriety by justices and report back to Congress. I am proud to help lead this effort, which will help us hold our highest court to the highest ethical standards."

This legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D- CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D- HI), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

The Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act is endorsed by the following organizations: CREW, Court Accountability, Demand Justice, End Citizens United, Fix the Court, and POGO.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.