John, did you see my message?
John, here’s a simple fact: Supreme Court justices are the only federal judges who aren’t required to follow a binding ethical code.
You read that right. Our highest court is held to the lowest ethical standards.
And just last week, we saw the consequences of these low standards: Justice Neil Gorsuch failed to recuse himself from major cases that could dismantle environmental and health regulations – which would make millions of dollars for his close friend, oil baron Philip Anschutz. [1]
And unfortunately, John, this is just the latest in a long list of ethical violations from Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch – from private trips with billionaire donors to undisclosed tuition and real estate deals. [2] We must demand better from our highest court.
Add your name today to become a grassroots co-sponsor of the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act – which would create a real, enforceable code of conduct to hold SCOTUS accountable.
Justice Gorsuch has a major, clear cut conflict of interest in these cases. He and Anschutz have had a close personal and financial relationship for decades – Anschutz has hosted Gorsuch for luxury trips and events, and he even lobbied the Bush administration to nominate Gorsuch for his first appointment as a federal judge. [3]
But that didn’t stop Gorsuch from participating in this week’s cases, which could loosen regulations for oil and gas companies, including the Anschutz Exploration Corporation, and lead to major profits for Anschutz. [1]
John, this is yet another example of why we can’t trust Supreme Court justices to hold themselves accountable.
Last year, Chief Justice Roberts implemented a weak, non-binding “code of conduct” after a series of high-profile scandals – and while some justices have followed it and recused themselves when necessary, others have failed to do so despite glaring conflicts of interest. [4]
The truth is, the only way to ensure ALL justices follow the same common-sense ethical standards is with strong, binding congressional action.
Sign on today as a grassroots co-sponsor of the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act.
We deserve a democracy where all public officials abide by high ethical standards when conducting the people’s business – no exceptions. I hope you’ll join us in speaking out today.
Thanks for all you do,
Aaron Scherb, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs
and the team at Common Cause
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/law/2024/jan/16/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-case-recuse-philip-anshutz
[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/11/14/here-are-all-the-supreme-court-controversies-that-led-to-adopting-an-ethics-code
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court.html
[4] https://www.law360.com/articles/1783340/justice-kagan-cites-ethics-code-for-1st-time-in-recusal
