Lawmakers Call for Investigation and Ethics Reforms in Response to ProPublica Report on C Thomas

[LetMyPeopleVote]

There will be hearings on this betrayal. The SCOTUS is not above the law and it may necessary for Congress to force a true code of ethics on the SCOTUS

Link to tweet

https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-harlan-crow-durbin-ethics-investigation?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter

Influential Democratic lawmakers have called for immediate investigations and vowed to create stricter ethics rules following a ProPublica report that revealed Justice Clarence Thomas has, for decades, failed to disclose luxury trips he received from a real estate magnate and conservative megadonor.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee — influential for its role in vetting and confirming Supreme Court nominees — said his panel is calling for an “enforceable code of conduct” for justices. “The ProPublica report is a call to action, and the Senate Judiciary Committee will act,” Durbin said......

On Thursday, a growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers said Thomas’ failure to disclose the luxury vacations is an example of why public trust in the Supreme Court is faltering.

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said in a statement that Americans’ confidence in the Supreme Court is “tanking because of this kind of conduct.”

“We need answers,” he said. “And the Court needs a code of ethics.”

Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said in a statement that the Supreme Court has lost its ethical compass, calling for Chief Justice John Roberts to open an investigation. “It’s no wonder that the American people are losing faith in the idea that they can get a fair shake before the nation’s highest court when they see a Supreme Court justice openly flouting basic disclosure rules in order to pal around with billionaires in secret,” he said.

This year, Whitehouse and others introduced a bill that would strengthen the Supreme Court’s disclosure and recusal rules, among other reforms. In his statement, the senator called for a hearing and vote on the bill.

“The Supreme Court urgently needs an enforceable system for holding justices accountable,” he said.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Americans deserve a judiciary that is “accountable to the rule of law, not wealthy Republican donors.” ProPublica’s reporting, she added, “is a stark reminder that judges should be held to the highest ethical standards and free from conflicts of interest.”

[gratuitous]

1. Put "law-n-order" Republicans on the spot

Nobody should be above the law, but Republicans seem to be doing their level best to make sure they aren't held accountable for their crimes and misdemeanors. Let's give the public a good look at what Republicans mean by "law-n-order."

[Victor_c3]

2. How much do you want to get that any such bill will be voted strictly along party lines? n/t