SerpApi.Org
After years of ethics controversies involving U.S. Supreme Court justices, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., introduced a package of judicial reform bills Monday to strengthen ethics rules and increase transparency across the federal judiciary.
Schiff said years of reporting detailing undisclosed gifts, financial conflicts of interest and controversies involving Supreme Court justices have undermined public confidence in the federal judiciary and prompted the legislative package.
The package includes three bills that would apply conflict-of-interest rules to federal judges and Supreme Court justices, require judges and justices to place certain financial assets in qualified blind trusts and subject the federal judiciary’s administrative offices to the Freedom of Information Act.
Companion legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. House, meaning lawmakers in both chambers are working to pass matching versions before the measures can be sent to the president for his signature.
“We must hold judges to the same ethical standards as other federal officials, enhance transparency within the court system, and ensure cases are decided based on merit, not profits. Americans deserve nothing less,” Schiff said in a press release.
Currently, a federal criminal conflict-of-interest law applies to executive branch employees, but not to members of the federal judiciary. Schiff’s “Judicial Integrity Act” would extend those restrictions to federal judges and Supreme Court justices.
Schiff said the bill responds to criticism that some judges and justices have heard cases involving their own financial interests.
“Americans’ confidence in our federal judiciary has reached a record low. With Supreme Court justices reportedly accepting lavish vacations from billionaires and issuing decisions that seemingly favor the president over the Constitution, it’s no surprise that this trust is broken,” said U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., who introduced companion legislation in the House.
Under the proposal, a judge who owned stock in a company involved in a lawsuit would generally be prohibited from participating in the case, though the bill allows limited exemptions for financial interests deemed too remote or inconsequential to affect impartiality.
Schiff’s second piece of legislation, the “Justice is BLIND Act,” is aimed at further reducing financial conflicts by requiring federal judges and their family members to place certain financial assets into qualified blind trusts. Under the bill, judges generally would no longer control or know how those investments are managed while serving, reducing the likelihood they could rule on cases affecting their personal financial interests.
“Americans deserve to know that officials in every branch of government - including the judiciary - are acting honorably and in the interest of the people, not their bank accounts,” said U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., who introduced companion legislation in the House.
The third bill aims to make courts more transparent. Unlike executive branch agencies, the federal judiciary is generally not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, but Schiff’s “Judicial FOIA Expansion Act” would make the judiciary’s administrative records available through FOIA requests.
If passed, records such as judicial misconduct complaints and attorney disciplinary proceedings could be obtained through FOIA requests. The bill would exempt records related to ongoing cases and would retain existing FOIA exemptions for matters such as national security and personal privacy.
The three bills do not include several broader Supreme Court changes Schiff has previously endorsed, including term limits, adding seats to the court and establishing an enforceable ethics code. Schiff reiterated his support for those proposals Monday.
