The Senate failed to advance a bill Wednesday designed to introduce ethics reform for the Supreme Court, with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shooting down the effort as Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito faces ethics controversies and rejects calls to recuse himself from cases related to former President Donald Trump.
The bill was largely expected to be blocked by Republicans. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Graham blocked a Democratic effort to pass the bill by unanimous consent, which requires the support of all senators.
It was a widely anticipated outcome following Republican pushback and votes against the bill when it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in an 11-10 vote last year, while Justice Clarence Thomas was embroiled in his own ethics controversies reportedly linked to accepting undisclosed financial favors.
The bill, known as the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act, sought to enshrine a code of conduct for Supreme Court justices and grant the ability to bring complaints against justices who may have violated the code.
The legislation also tried to establish rules governing the disclosure of “gifts, income or reimbursements” for the Supreme Court, which has no binding code of conduct, unlike lower federal courts.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.