Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett has voiced her support for the nation’s highest court adopting a formal code of conduct following multiple reports alleging ethical shortcomings.
Asked if she favors a formal code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices and what benefits that would potentially provide, Justice Barrett responded, “I think it would be a good idea for us to do it, particularly so that we can communicate to the public exactly what it is that we’re doing—and in a clearer way than perhaps we have been able to do so far.”
However, Justice Barrett stressed the nine justices already hold themselves to the highest ethical standards possible.
“I will say this, there is no lack of consensus among the justices—there is unanimity among all nine justices—that we should and do hold ourselves to the highest standards, highest ethical standards possible,” she said.
The Supreme Court Justice also noted that such an ethics reform code would likely focus on “how best to express what it is that we are already doing” adding that the justices already abide by a number of statutes that apply to all judges, such as filing financial disclosure forms.
She personally follows the formal canons of conduct that applied to her when she was an appeals court judge, the Supreme Court justice told audience members.
Justices ‘Committed to Highest Standards’
While Justice Barrett was unable to provide a timeline as to when the Supreme Court might reach a consensus regarding what its own ethics code should be, she stressed that the justices remain “very committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct.”Justice Barrett’s comments come after reports emerged regarding Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s alleged failure to disclose a number of gifts he reportedly received from conservative billionaire Harlan Crow.
The form indicates that Mr. Crow—who is also a Republican Party donor—paid for private jet trips for the justice, including one in which he vacationed at a friend’s New York estate.
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Justice Thomas has vowed to disclose all necessary information going forward.However, other Supreme Court justices, including Justice Samuel Alito, have also come under scrutiny for alleged ethical issues such as failing to disclose various paid-for trips, including an Alaska trip in 2008.
Like Justice Thomas, Justice Alito has also defended his actions by claiming it was not standard practice to disclose such trips in annual financial statements.
