A group of House Democrats called for the establishment of an independent investigative unit for the Supreme Court in a letter Tuesday, saying recent allegations "pose grave threats to the legitimacy of the Court."
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) led the group of Democratic colleagues in the House, which consisted of former prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officials, per the letter to Chief Justice John Roberts. The letter urged the Supreme Court chief to create the independent body after ethical concerns have plagued Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.
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Goldman called on the Supreme Court to create an independent investigative body to enforce ethics rules on June 27, 2023.
"Despite your insistence that the Court can police itself, you have provided no rationale or vision for how the Court will do so," Goldman wrote. "Moreover, the Court’s failure to conduct a meaningful, independent investigation into allegations against Justices Thomas and Alito only underscores widespread concerns that the Supreme Court is not subject to a code of ethics or an adequate enforcement process."
Accusations against Thomas arose earlier this year after ProPublica reported that he took several trips with a billionaire GOP donor and friend, Harlan Crow, trips that were previously undisclosed. Alito allegedly took an expensive trip with a different friend, Paul Singer, to an Alaskan fishing lodge in 2008. Both justices have defended the friendships and trips.
Thomas maintained that he had conferred with colleagues in the judicial branch on the trips and was told that gifts from close personal friends did not need to be reported if the friends did not have business in front of the Supreme Court.
The letter on Tuesday addressed the issue of recusals and disclosures, encouraging Roberts to create a council that advises justices on future disclosures, recusal decisions, and other potential ethical issues.
"If, as you say, the Court is capable of upholding the highest ethical standards, then we hope you will accept our recommendations to establish an independent and transparent investigative body and separate ethics counsel to regain the trust and confidence of the American people," the letter said.
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The justices have not responded to the new letter.
Both Alito and Thomas have sat on the country's highest court for over a decade. Thomas is currently the longest-serving justice on the court, having been nominated and appointed in 1991. Alito has served on the court since 2006.