Saturday, June 13, 2026

Chief Justice John Roberts declines Sen. Durbin request to testify

Chief Justice John Roberts declines Sen. Durbin request to testify

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Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told Senate leaders Tuesday he would “respectfully decline” to testify at a Senate hearing, offering a “Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices” signed by all the Supreme Court justices in which they “reaffirm and restate foundational ethics principles and practices” to which they subscribe.

There did not seem to be new proposals or guidelines in the statement, which Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) immediately labeled insufficient, noting recent revelations about Justice Clarence Thomas that he said illustrate the need for more scrutiny.

“I am surprised that the Chief Justice’s recounting of existing legal standards of ethics suggests current law is adequate and ignores the obvious,” Durbin said in a statement. “The actions of one Justice, including trips on yachts and private jets, were not reported to the public. That same Justice failed to disclose the sale of properties he partly owned to a party with interests before the Supreme Court.”

“It is time for Congress to accept its responsibility to establish an enforceable code of ethics for the Supreme Court, the only agency of our government without it,” Durbin’s statement continued.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

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