Supreme Court Justice John Roberts Refuses to Testify Before Congress

The U.S. Supreme Court’s top judge, Chief Justice John Roberts, has declined to testify before Congress on ethics issues. This comes after Senator Dick Durbin urged Roberts to answer questions under oath at an upcoming public hearing. The hearing will discuss how justices are “falling short of the ethical standards expected of other federal judges.” However, Roberts has refused to testify, stating that it is exceedingly rare for the Supreme Court’s chief justice to testify before Congress due to separation of powers concerns and the importance of preserving judicial independence.

History of Chief Justices Testifying Before Congress

• Only two chief justices in history have testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, in 1921 and 1935. Those hearings went over “routine matters” such as adding seats in federal courts.
• Another chief justice testified before U.S. House of Representatives panels regarding a bill that would create a commemorative coin and how to improve the federal civil service system.

Despite Roberts’ refusal to testify, Durbin has stated that the hearing in May will still happen. Durbin is among the Democrats who want to impose a code of conduct on the nation’s top court, pointing to concerns about justices’ relationships with major political donors. He has expressed concern with reporting that Justice Clarence Thomas accepted free vacations from a Republican donor; Thomas has denied wrongdoing. Durbin believes that it is time for Congress to establish an enforceable code of ethics for the Supreme Court.