Reps. Jamie Raskin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez need Supreme Courtroom Chief Justice John Roberts to reply some questions.
On Friday, the highest two rating Democrats on the Home Oversight Committee despatched a letter to Roberts over “renewed concern about Justice Samuel Alito’s apparent refusal to abide by the Supreme Court’s Code of Conduct or constitutional and statutory guarantees that cases be heard by impartial judges.”
The lawmakers cite a latest New York Occasions report that Roberts made the bizarre selection to switch Alito, who had been assigned to put in writing a majority opinion about prosecutors overreaching once they charged some Capitol rioters with obstruction.
In response to the Occasions, Roberts determined to take over writing the bulk opinion himself for the Fischer v. United States case. This transfer occurred shortly after experiences surfaced about Alito and his spouse flying an upside-down American flag—an emblem of the “Stop the Steal” motion following the 2020 election.
Regardless of many requires Alito to recuse himself from any “Stop the Steal” insurrection-related circumstances, the justice refused and provided a sophomoric letter defending his place.
The Democrats’ letter on Friday additionally notes that friend-to-billionaires Clarence Thomas and his spouse Ginni even have well-documented ties to the rebellion motion, that are equally problematic.
“Your own conduct, in taking the ‘highly unusual step’ of removing Justice Alito as the author of the Fischer opinion last May, just days after the public learned that he repeatedly flew flags and banners supportive of the January 6 insurrectionists, strongly suggests you recognized that Justice Alito’s conduct presented a situation in which the Justice’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned,” Raskin and Ocasio-Cortez write.
“Yet by taking the half measure of replacing him as the opinion’s author, instead of requiring him, as well as Justice Thomas, to recuse wholly from the matter, you allowed the Court to violate and defy federal law, the Constitution, and its own Code of Conduct,” in response to the lawmakers.
Raskin and Ocasio-Cortez ask Roberts to reply a sequence of questions as to his decision-making course of within the matter:
1. Did you, as Chief Justice, make the choice to switch Justice Alito because the drafter
of the Fischer opinion?
a. When did you achieve this and what was your foundation for doing so? Did public
reporting that Justice Alito and his partner displayed flags and banners
supportive of the insurrectionists and the “Stop the Steal” motion play any
position on this resolution?
b. When and the way did you turn out to be conscious that Justice Alito and his partner
displayed flags and banners supportive of the insurrectionists and the “Cease
the Steal” motion each in January 2021 and in the summertime of 2023?
c. Had been there every other people concerned in making the choice to switch
Justice Alito because the drafter of the Fischer opinion? Did you focus on this
resolution with every other sitting or retired Justice of the Supreme Courtroom?
d. How was the choice conveyed to Justice Alito?
2. Did you may have any conversations with Justice Alito or Justice Thomas about
whether or not both’s participation in circumstances involving January 6 defendants was
in line with the Supreme Courtroom’s Code of Conduct, federal legislation, or the
Structure? Specifically, did you may have any dialogue with Justice Alito or
Justice Thomas about recusing from circumstances involving January 6 defendants?
3. Did you may have any conversations with any sitting or retired Justice of the Supreme
Courtroom about whether or not the participation of Justice Alito or Justice Thomas in circumstances
involving January 6 defendants was in line with the Supreme Courtroom’s Code of
Conduct, federal legislation, or the Structure?
Roberts has not but commented on the letter, in response to The Hill.
