Chief Justice Roberts Calls Leak of Roe v. Wade Ruling a ‘Betrayal,’ Orders Supreme Court to Investigate

Members of the Supreme Court pose for a group photograph at the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021. Seated from left: Associate Justice Samuel Alito, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Standing from left: Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, and Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Erin Schaff/Pool/Getty Images

The Supreme Court on Tuesday responded to the leak of a draft ruling and confirmed its authenticity, issuing a statement from Chief Justice John Roberts, who called the leak “a betrayal of the confidences” of the institution.

On Monday evening, Politico published a purported draft copy of the court’s ruling, which suggested that the landmark abortion law Roe v. Wade would be overturned. The Supreme Court confirmed the document’s authenticity but said the draft does not represent a final decision by the court “or the final position of any member” in the case.