WASHINGTON — Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and other Democrats plan to push for new ethical standards for the Supreme Court in the next two years, even as the Republican control of the House may make that more difficult.
The justices faced increased scrutiny from lawmakers and the public over the last year on several fronts. Congress passed a financial disclosure law in April to address federal judges who did not recuse from cases where they had a financial interest. A leak of a draft opinion to wipe out abortion rights in May prompted protective fencing around the court building and security around the homes of justices.
More recently, a report about another possible leak of a decision in 2014 led to a House hearing. And ethics experts questioned whether Justice Clarence Thomas should have recused himself from a case dealing with Trump administration records related to the Jan. 6 attack that likely included his wife’s communications with former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
