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 we just 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. 

Tell Congress: Pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act and 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 these 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. Some justices have followed it and recused themselves when necessary, but 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.

Congress must act now to END Supreme Court corruption and conflicts of interest. Will you join us in demanding a real Supreme Court code of conduct today?

[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/?sh=5138651564ca
[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