, Columnist
Supreme Court Ethics Lapses Aren’t a Partisan Issue
Yes, the conservative justices are in the hot seat now. But liberals have also fallen short.
Anyone? Hello?
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Ethics reform at the Supreme Court is not a partisan issue. Nor is it a cynical attempt to shame or bully the court. It’s true that the justices most in the news for ethical lapses — Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — are staunch conservatives. But liberal justices have had their issues, too.
Pointing this out isn’t “both-sidesing” the ethical question. Rather, it should remind skeptics of reform that the goal is to raise the entire court’s battered standing — something that should be front-of-mind as the justices prepare to release their annual disclosures today.