Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she is “considering supporting” a binding ethics code for the Supreme Court and believes people are entitled to know if justices are getting gifts—as several judges on the nation’s highest court face ethics controversies.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson told CBS she doesn’t have a problem with an enforceable ethics code ... [+]
In an interview on “CBS Sunday Morning,” Jackson declined to get into specifics about what she would or wouldn’t support regarding “particular policy proposals,” but said she doesn’t “have any problem with an enforceable code.”
Jackson said it “really boils down to impartiality,” saying: “People are entitled to know if you're accepting gifts as a judge so that they can evaluate whether or not your opinions are impartial.”
Jackson’s comments come shortly after President Joe Biden outlined his proposal for Supreme Court reforms, including a binding code of conduct that would require justices to disclose gifts, term limits and a constitutional amendment removing presidential immunity for crimes committed by former presidents during their time in office.
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“A binding code of ethics is pretty standard for judges,” Jackson said. “And so I guess the question is, ‘Is the Supreme Court any different?’ And I guess I have not seen a persuasive reason as to why the court is different than the other courts.”
Jackson’s comments come at a time the Supreme Court is under scrutiny for its lack of enforceable ethical guidelines, in large part because of Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Thomas came under fire last year after ProPublica reported he accepted—and did not disclose—luxury travel from Republican real estate investor Harlan Crow over the course of two decades, which led to more reports of gifts and trips that Thomas accepted, with the most recent reported early last month. Thomas has denied violating any ethical rules. Alito has faced a number of controversies recently, as well, including for a trip he took with billionaire Paul Singer (though he denied wrongdoing), reports that flags sometimes linked to pro-Trump groups were hung at his properties and a secret recording in which he questioned whether the right and left will ever be able to compromise. Several other justices have faced questions, including Chief Justice John Roberts, whose wife has worked as a recruiter for law firms, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor, whose staff were accused of pushing colleges to buy copies of her book. The ethical issues come as the Supreme Court faces low approval ratings: In August, 47% of Americans said they view the court favorably and 51% said they view it unfavorably, according to Pew Research Center. The approval rating hit a record low last year, when just 40% of Americans viewed it favorably. The Supreme Court instituted an ethics code last November, though it was nonbinding in the sense that no enforcement mechanisms were outlined. Efforts by congressional Democrats to impose an ethical code on the court have faced resistance from Republican lawmakers, who have decried the push as an effort to punish the conservative-leaning court.
When asked by CBS, Jackson would not comment on her colleague Justice Thomas’ accepting gifts and undisclosed trips during his time on the court.
We estimated Jackson to have a net worth of about $2 million in February, tying her with Justice Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court justice with the lowest net worth. Her book, “Lovely One,” is coming out this week, though, and could provide her net worth a bump.
In her personal financial disclosures this year, Jackson disclosed Beyoncé tickets. She received a $3,712 gift of four concert tickets from the artist herself, though the disclosure didn’t have information on what show Jackson was at or why she was gifted the tickets. She also disclosed a $900,000 advance for her book, which helped her have the most outside income of any justice last year.