(GoRealNewsNow.com) – Capitulating to the whims of radical Senate Democrats, the U.S. Supreme Court has implemented its inaugural code of ethics. This decision moves to constrict the institution’s independence in the face of a liberal revolt after a string of conservative wins.
In a recently released statement, the justices contended that their conduct has always been aligned with the ethical standards expected of federal judges. However, the absence of a formal, written code akin to that of lower courts has fostered liberal perceptions of ethical lapses.
“The absence of a Code, however, has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,” the justices wrote. To clarify these misunderstandings, they introduced a code that essentially codifies long-held principles guiding their behavior.
All nine justices’ unanimous adoption of this policy occurred four days after their final discussion on the subject. The new ethics code comprises five canons of conduct, mandating that Supreme Court justices adhere to the utmost ethical standards and abstain from political activities during their tenure, failing which they face disqualification.
This historic decision for a formal ethics code emerges in the wake of intense scrutiny and allegations from Senate Democrats. They have criticized the Court’s conservative justices for allegedly obscuring ties with affluent benefactors, putting Justice Clarence Thomas under particular criticism. Reports suggested he did not disclose luxurious travels and presents from wealthy donors, including Texas billionaire Harlan Crow.
However, Thomas has consistently asserted adherence to the Court’s financial disclosure rules, which, before 2022, did not mandate the reporting of personal travel. There is no substantiated evidence that either Thomas or Justice Samuel Alito, who faced similar criticism, received gifts from parties with cases before the Court.
“Justice Thomas’s critics allege that he failed to report gifts from wealthy friends. Untrue,” stated Thomas’s lawyer, Elliot S. Berke. He emphasized that Thomas never accepted gifts from individuals with pending court cases and has always included all reportable gifts on his disclosure forms.
Senator Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) previously suggested that the justices could quell Democratic efforts to enforce an ethics code by establishing their own. Subsequently, Senate Republicans stalled Durbin’s initiative to subpoena affluent conservatives linked to Supreme Court justices, countering with threats to subpoena progressives in similar situations.