Ethics Examination

Democratic politicians suddenly care about ethics:

The Supreme Court last year passed a long-awaited code of ethics that is directed specifically at the nine justices, though it has faced criticism from defenders of the court who say they have always followed lower court ethics guidance, to Democrats who say there needs to be an enforcement mechanism such as an outside panel of judges to recommend disciplinary actions for alleged ethical violations. “Chief Justice Roberts’s continued unwillingness to implement the only viable solution to the Court’s ethical crisis—an enforceable code of conduct—requires Congress to act to restore the public’s confidence in the highest court in the land,” reads the report. The report says that passing the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act, which passed out of the committee in September 2023, is a “necessary step.” But the overarching debate surrounding the passage of an ethical code through congressional legislation is the constitutional issue of whether Congress can regulate the conduct of a co-equal branch of government. Alito has been highly vocal that Congress cannot enact this type of oversight on the courts, and some Republicans who have sided with his viewpoint also worry about the separation of powers.

Ethics for thee, not for me...