At the heart of much of the debate over the new ethics code is which conflicts require recusal and whether justices should decide those questions for themselves.
Justice Thomas, for instance, took part in cases on the 2020 election and its aftermath, even though Virginia Thomas, his wife, had participated in efforts to overturn the results.
The new code does not say what can be done to address situations like that, said Renee Knake Jefferson, a law professor at the University of Houston.
It does not apply to Supreme Court justices.
There was a grudging quality to an introductory statement that preceded the new code, one that all but conceded that it was for show.
Persons:
Justice Thomas, Virginia Thomas, Renee Knake Jefferson, ”
Organizations:
University of Houston, Judicial