WASHINGTON, D.C. — Common Cause urged the nation’s top jurist today to ensure that justices of the Supreme Court are meeting the same ethical standards imposed on other members of the federal judiciary.

Continuing efforts to highlight concerns about partisan political activities and conflict of interest questions involving several justices, the nonpartisan government watchdog asked Chief Justice John Roberts to resolve apparent conflicts in recent statements from the Court about the application of the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges on its members.

“The Court has sent confusing, apparently conflicting signals recently on its commitment to holding its members to the highest ethical standards,” said Bob Edgar, president and CEO of the nonpartisan government watchdog group. “We think the justices should pledge themselves to live by the same rules that apply to lower court judges and publicize their efforts to enforce those rules.”

In a letter to Roberts, Edgar noted that Justices Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer told a House subcommittee last month that the Court has agreed voluntarily to be bound by the Code and its Canons of Ethics. [1]

But after Common Cause sought copies of a resolution Kennedy testified that the Court had adopted on the subject, a court official sent the subcommittee a letter advising that the Court considers the Code “principally advisory in nature, even for lower court judges.”

Edgar noted that the Code, adopted and distributed to all federal judges by the Judicial Conference of the United States, says it is to be applied to “circuit judges, district judges, Court of International Trade judges, Court of Federal Claims judges, bankruptcy judges, and magistrate judges.” There is no mention of the Supreme Court and no suggestion that the Code is only advisory.

“The adoption and enforcement of high ethical standards is critically important to public confidence in the administration of justice,” Edgar said. That confidence has been undermined of late by the actions of several justices.”

The letter called Roberts’ attention to several justices’ participation in fundraising events and apparent political activity banned by the Code:

Justice Samuel Alito attended annual fundraising galas for the American Spectator magazine in 2008 and 2010. Tickets for the events sold for $250 to $25,000.[2]

Justice Clarence Thomas was the headline speaker at the Manhattan Institute’s Wriston Lecture in October, 2008. This event reportedly required a minimum $5,000 donation to the Manhattan Institute.[3] Justice Alito headlined the same event in 2010.[4]

Судья Алито возглавил сбор средств Института межвузовских исследований (ISI) в апреле 2009 года, названный «Ежегодным ужином для западной цивилизации». Сообщается, что это мероприятие собрало $70,000 для ISI.[5]

Судьи Скалиа и Томас были «представлены» на стратегических и фандрайзинговых выездных мероприятиях, организованных промышленниками Дэвидом и Чарльзом Кохом в январе 2007 и январе 2008 года соответственно. Эти мероприятия являются крайне политическими и посещаются элитной группой республиканских доноров и чиновников, консервативных лидеров и капитанов финансов и промышленности. Хотя списки участников, повестки дня и другие детали этих мероприятий тщательно охраняются, известно, что братья Кох используют эти мероприятия для сбора средств на свою широкомасштабную политическую деятельность. На мероприятии Коха в январе 2011 года в Ранчо-Мираж, Калифорния, как сообщается, было собрано $49 миллионов для использования в избирательном цикле 2012 года.[6]

Common Cause — это беспартийная низовая организация, стремящаяся восстановить основные ценности американской демократии, создать открытое, честное и ответственное правительство, работающее в интересах общества, и дать простым людям возможность быть услышанными.

[1] http://appropriations.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Detail&HearingId=41&Month=4&Year=2011

[2] http://thinkprogress.org/2010/11/10/sam-alito-republican-fundraiser/

[3] http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/449638/alito,_thomas_headlined_political_fundraisers_chaired_by_leading_right-wing_donor_paul_singer/

[4] http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/wriston.htm

[5] http://www.isi.org/spotlight/wstn_civ_dinner/2009/content/dwc_2009_program.pdf

[6] http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=CB5926D0-C9D5-4AB0-A06D-DA2CEB824DF0