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Today, in the wake of new reporting revealing Justice Alito’s rejection of compromise on the Court and criticism of ProPublica’s Pulitzer Prize-winning ethics coverage, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) will lead Senate Judiciary Democrats in bringing the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act for a Senate vote. This critical legislation, introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, comes as revelations of apparent ethical misconduct at the highest levels of the judiciary continue to mount.

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Since the Supreme Court has proven it can’t hold itself accountable, strong legislative solutions to the Court’s growing ethics crisis are more important than ever. Thanks to the leadership of Senators Durbin and Whitehouse, all Senators will have the chance to vote for the SCERT Act, which would strengthen court ethics standards and restore credibility and integrity to our highest Court. Now we’ll learn who in the Senate is on the side of the Justices serving everyday Americans and who’s on the side of the Justices serving their wealthy pals and special interests.”

Accountable.US president Caroline Ciccone

Recent reporting exposing Justice Samuel Alito’s thoughts on an America led by theocratic values and stressing divides among Americans underscores the rampant lack of regard for the ethics code the Court itself created. Justices Alito and Thomas have made a mockery of the highest court in the land with their continued ethical lapses, requiring strong, enforceable ethics guidelines to restore faith in the Supreme Court.

The SCERT Act, endorsed by Accountable.US and championed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin, and Rep. Hank Johnson, would finally establish a binding code of conduct and enforcement mechanisms for the Supreme Court after years of alarming reports of lax ethics and transparency standards. Accountable.US also supports other common-sense bills to help end the Court’s corruption crisis, such as the Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization (TERM) Act, the Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act, and the Supreme Court Offices of Ethics and Investigations Act.

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