News reports about Ginni Thomas, who is married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, have confirmed that she was heavily involved in the January 6 insurrection. Justice Thomas issued the lone Supreme Court vote to protect the Trump administration and his wife from transparency and accountability, which has put the issue of Supreme Court ethics back in the national spotlight.
All federal judges in the United States — except for the nine Supreme Court justices—are bound by a Code of Conduct. This code includes everything from basic ethics rules to standards for case recusal and navigating conflicts of interest. Chief Justice Roberts has consistently said the Supreme Court’s nine justices hold themselves accountable to the highest of ethical standards while rejecting the need for a code of ethics or any form of oversight. The Court’s approval rating and trust are at an all-time low. National pressure is rapidly rising on the Court and Congress to create and implement a Code of Ethics with bills introduced in the House and Senate.
Please join Alliance for Justice in DC on Wednesday, June 8 at 6:00 pm at Gupta Wessler, 2001 K St NW, for a conversation on the array of proposals to implement a Supreme Court Code of Ethics, why it's necessary, and how we got here. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Hank Johnson will be delivering opening remarks leading into our conversation with Senior Fellow for Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution Ambassador Norman Eisen (ret.), Director of Democracy Policy at Indivisible Meagan Hatcher-Mays, and other leading advocates.
Register for this Holding Court event here.
There will be a reception at 6:00pm with food and refreshments. The speaking program will start at 6:30pm. We will turn to audience questions at the end of the program. Please submit your questions to [email protected]. Please note: proof of vaccination will be required to attend the event.
