U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury announced a bill on Thursday that would, if enacted, establish judicial ethics to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act of 2024 would create an Office of the Inspector General within the judicial branch to ensure judicial ethics are maintained. Offices of the Inspector General provide oversight for federal agencies. The offices provide reports about the agencies they oversee and issue those regularly to Congress.
Stansbury, who represents New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, stood on the steps of the Supreme Court building in Washington D.C., flanked by several other congressional leaders in both the Senate and House to announce the bill. On the Senate side, Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, is sponsoring the effort.
In addition to creating an Office of the Inspector General for the judiciary, the bill would authorize the Inspector General to conduct investigations of alleged violations of the code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices. The Inspector General, who would also be accountable through term limits and could be subject to removal, would provide an annual report to both houses of Congress on the judiciary.
The bill would also authorize the Office of the Inspector General to report to the Attorney General in the event of reasonable grounds for a criminal investigation. The office would, under this bill if enacted, conduct and supervise audits and investigations, prevent and detect waste, fraud and abuse and recommend changes in laws or regulations to the code of conduct adopted by the court. The bill also provides protections for whistleblowers.
Stansbury said the Supreme Court has “taken special gifts, gone on trips.”
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has faced scrutiny for gifts and trips provided by conservative billionaire donor Harlan Crow, much of which has been documented by ProPublica.
“We’ve seen influence in decisions this court is handing down. All we have to do is look at the Dobbs decision which stripped the rights of women to make decisions about their own bodies,” Stansbury said.
She said the bill would “make sure this court is accountable to the rule of law, the highest ethical standards at every level across this country.”