Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin ratcheted up demands for Chief Justice John Roberts to police the actions of Clarence Thomas in the wake of a new ProPublica report showing a GOP megadonor paying school tuition for a close relative of the conservative justice.
But Durbin told CNN he can’t move forward with a new ethics bill to impose a code of conduct on the justices until Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns from her illness since Republicans would have the votes to block any such legislation in his committee. Plus some Democrats on the panel, like Sen. Dick Blumenthal, want to go much further than Durbin in the Thomas probe – exposing divisions within the ranks.
But Durbin said the first step is up to Roberts.
“I hope that Chief Justice Roberts reads his story this morning and understands something has to be done,” Durbin told CNN. “The reputation of the Supreme Court is at stake here. The credibility of the court when it comes to its future and decisions as at stake and his reputation as a leader of this court is really an issue as welll.”
Durbin again rejected calls to subpoena a Supreme Court justice, saying it raises constitutional concerns. And he said that Feinstein’s absence makes moving ahead on legislation more difficult.
“It’s difficult, particularly because the Republicans have basically taken the position that they are opposed to this, they think it is political retribution by liberals against the conservative court,” Durbin said when asked about Feinstein’s absence. “I’ll just say that my feelings about the Code of Ethics, it should apply to all justices regardless of their philosophy.”
Durbin didn’t think the situation rises to a Justice Department probe. “No, I don’t think so,” he said when asked if he believed the Justice Department should investigate the matter.
But Blumenthal went…
Read the full article here