Petition (Rep. Slaughter) to apply the Code of Conduct for US Judges, to the members of the SCOTUS
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Dear Friend,
Recently it was reported that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia doesn't believe in molecular biology. He also seems to doubt the need for a transparent, accountable and impartial Supreme Court. Earlier this month, we learned that Justice Scalia has once again met with a conservative political group behind closed doors.
No member of the Supreme Court should be meeting behind closed doors with powerful political organizations that seek to change our nation’s laws. That's why today I'm launching a campaign calling on Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to adopt a binding code of conduct.
My petition, which is to Chief Justice Roberts, asks the following:
With members of the Supreme Court having engaged in ethically dubious behavior in recent years, now is the time to apply a binding code of conduct and restore accountability and transparency to the highest court in the land.
Chief Justice John Roberts should apply the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, which already applies to every other federal judge in the nation, to the members of the United States Supreme Court.
On his annual financial disclosure form, Justice Scalia reported that late last year he accepted an all-expenses-paid trip to meet with the shadowy conservative group "Friends of Abe."
Friends of Abe has been described as "the most important source of underground political activism in Hollywood today." The secretive group has hosted Republican politicians such as Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan, and even held a fundraiser in 2010 for California's Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina.
Justice Scalia is not alone. Justice Clarence Thomas has also attended right-wing fundraisers by the Koch brothers. What's more, Justice Thomas's wife has advertised herself as a lobbyist who has "experience and connections" to conservative groups that have an explicit agenda to overturn health care reform — by repeal in Congress or by overturning the law in the courts.
The Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges declares that "a judge should not make speeches for a political organization or candidate."
Yet while every other federal judge is bound by this code, the Supreme Court has exempted itself from these commonsense rules.
Soon, I'll be introducing legislation in Congress to apply the Code of Conduct for United States Judges to the Supreme Court. Together, with this petition, we can show Justice Roberts that we're dedicated to restoring accountability and transparency to the highest court in the land.
Click here to learn more and add your name to my petition to Chief Justice Roberts to urge him to apply the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, which already applies to every other federal judge in the nation.
Thank you for your support.
Representative Louise Slaughter
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