As the summer of 2023 ended, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court began trading even-more-confidential-than-usual memos, avoiding their standard email list and instead passing paper documents in envelopes to each chambers.
Faced with ethics controversies and a plunge in public trust, they were debating rules for their own conduct, according to people familiar with the process.
But a New York Times examination found that behind the scenes, the court had divided over whether the justices’ new rules could — or should — ever be enforced.
Justice Gorsuch was especially vocal in opposing any enforcement mechanism beyond voluntary compliance, arguing that additional measures could undermine the court.
The justices’ strength was their independence, he said, and he vowed to have no part in diminishing it.
Persons:
Weeks, Neil M, Gorsuch
Organizations:
U.S, Supreme, New York Times