Supreme Court justices under new ethics disclosures on trips, other gifts
Supreme Court justices and all federal judges must provide a fuller public accounting of free trips, meals and other gifts they accept from corporations or other organizations, according to revised regulations quietly adopted this month.
The new requirements mark a technical but significant change that lawmakers and court transparency advocates hope will lead to more disclosure by judges and justices and also make it easier for parties in specific cases to request that judges remove themselves from cases when potential conflicts arise.
Gifts such as an overnight stay at a personal vacation home owned by a friend remain exempt from reporting requirements. But the revised rules require disclosure when judges are treated to stays at commercial properties, such as hotels, ski resorts or corporate hunting lodges. The changes also clarify that judges must report travel by private jet.
The revisions come after years of pressure from members of Congress, who say the judiciary should follow ethics guidelines closer to those that apply to the executive and legislative branches.
The revised rules were adopted by a committee of the Judicial Conference, the courts’ policymaking body. They took effect March 14, according to a letter last week from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts replying to questions from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who has pressed for more transparency as chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s panel overseeing the federal courts.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/03/28/supreme-court-disclosures-trips-gifts/