The House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s leading Democrat, Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), are questioning whether Chief Justice John Roberts has made any effort to look into potential conflicts of interest involving two other Supreme Court justices.
The Oversight Democrats have recently sent out a letter that sheds light on two concerning matters. Firstly, it raises questions about the expensive trips and undisclosed gifts that Justice Clarence Thomas has received. Secondly, it brings up reports that Justice Samuel Alito has been displaying two flags associated with the controversial “Stop the Steal” movement at his homes. These issues have raised concerns among the Oversight Democrats and require further investigation.
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According to the lawmakers, the journalists and congressional committees have played a significant role in uncovering the ethics crisis at the court. However, Roberts has declined the request to meet with them.
In a letter addressed to Roberts, Raskin and Ocasio-Cortez raised concerns about the Court’s unusual approach to monitoring ethical violations. The letter questioned whether the Supreme Court is capable or willing to investigate and enforce compliance with the statutory and constitutional responsibilities of the Justices.
The Congress has raised concerns over the lack of action taken by the Chief Justice or the presiding officer of the Judicial Conference to investigate the obvious cases of political bias and lack of disclosure. The refusal to meet with Congress has led to questions about the steps being taken to address the issue.
According to recently released documents by the Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee, it has come to light that Thomas did not disclose three trips that were paid for by Harlan Crow, a Republican mega-donor.
House Judiciary Democrats have urged Justice Roberts to encourage Justice Alito to recuse himself from certain cases. They argue that Justice Alito’s display of flags has violated a provision that prohibits justices from endorsing a candidate for office and another provision that mandates recusal when their impartiality could be reasonably questioned.
During a recent Congressional hearing, Alito made it clear that he played no role in the placement of flags over his two homes. He attributed this responsibility to his wife, as he stated that she was the one responsible for the flags.
Although Thomas has removed himself from the case involving John Eastman, who aided in the creation of Trump’s dishonest elector plan, both justices have yet to recuse themselves from any ongoing cases regarding the events of January 6th.
According to the Oversight lawmakers, the Justices’ persistent refusal to recuse themselves is becoming more and more difficult to justify.
The impartiality of Justice Alito and Justice Thomas is being questioned due to their evident partisan ideological activity. This raises concerns about their ability to be impartial in matters that are currently before the Supreme Court. While it has been reported that both Justices have declined to recuse themselves from these cases, it is crucial that the Court’s Code of Conduct is enforced, and that constitutional and statutory guarantees of unbiased judges are upheld. It cannot solely rely on a Justice’s self-assessment and subjective evaluation of their conduct.
Inquiring about the court’s actions following reports about two justices, the letter poses a series of questions to Roberts. It also mentions the Supreme Court’s investigation into the release of the draft of the Dobbs opinion, which resulted in the overturning of the federal right to an abortion.
According to Raskin and Ocasio-Cortez, the Supreme Court has the ability to carry out a thorough examination of facts.
