Key takeaways:
- Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has called for the Supreme Court and Chief Justice John Roberts to adopt a binding code of conduct in response to a ProPublica story.
- The Supreme Court currently has a code of conduct, but it is not binding.
- The story has sparked a debate about the need for a binding code of conduct for the Supreme Court, and Durbin’s call for action has been echoed by other lawmakers.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has called for the Supreme Court and Chief Justice John Roberts to adopt a binding code of conduct in response to a ProPublica story that revealed Dallas real estate billionaire Harlan Crow had paid tuition for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ grandnephew at two private boarding schools.
The story, released Thursday, stated that Crow, a conservative billionaire involved in efforts to swing the Supreme Court to the right, had paid the tuition for Thomas’ grandnephew, whom Thomas raised as a son after the boy’s father went to prison on drug charges. Thomas did not report the support Crow provided on his financial disclosures, despite reporting a contribution from a different donor at one point.
In response to the story, Durbin said that the reputations of the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Roberts are “at stake” if they do not move to adopt a binding code of conduct. He urged Roberts to read the story and understand the importance of the issue.
The Supreme Court currently has a code of conduct, but it is not binding. The court has resisted calls to make it binding, citing the need for justices to remain independent from Congress. However, Durbin argued that the revelations about Crow’s payments to Thomas’ grandnephew demonstrate the need for a binding code of conduct.
The story has sparked a debate about the need for a binding code of conduct for the Supreme Court. Durbin’s call for action has been echoed by other lawmakers, who argue that the court must take steps to ensure that justices are held to the highest ethical standards.
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