Senate hearing sees Democrats and Republicans clash over Supreme Court ethics.

Senate Judiciary Committee Debates New Ethical Requirements for Supreme Court

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a heated debate on Tuesday over whether the U.S. Supreme Court should be subject to new ethical requirements. The discussion centered around whether the court should provide more detailed financial disclosures or implement stricter guidelines for recusal.

The hearing comes as Democratic lawmakers call for an investigation into Justice Clarence Thomas, following a report detailing gifts and paid vacations he accepted from a wealthy personal friend. However, Thomas denies any wrongdoing, and it’s unclear if the friend was connected to any cases before the court.

Trading Accusations

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee’s panel on federal courts, accused the Supreme Court of playing outside the ethics rules for federal judges. He raised accusations that the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia went on numerous hunting trips with gun industry advocates, fossil fuel folks, and Republican political figures. Whitehouse also accused Justice Thomas of failing to recuse himself from election-related cases while his wife supported Republican challenges to the 2020 election results.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) pushed back against the Democrats, alleging that they are working with their allies in the news media to delegitimize the Supreme Court because they are angry that there are a majority of constitutionalists on the court. Cruz also noted instances of liberal justices on the Supreme Court taking gifts and paid vacations without disclosing them.

Should the Supreme Court Have a Code of Ethics?

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) responded to Republican criticisms, saying the real issue is whether or not the court should adopt a code of ethics. She believes there should be transparency regarding ethics, regardless of what motives or anything else that the Republicans keep throwing up.

Hawley Says SCOTUS Funding At Stake

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) accused Democrats of threatening to withhold security for Supreme Court justices if they did not accept Democrats’ demands for revised ethics rules. In a letter sent in early April, 15 Democratic senators suggested using Congress’ appropriations power as a means of compulsion.

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