Durbin: SCOTUS Justices ‘Believe’ They’re ‘Exempt’ from Accountability

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said Tuesday on CNN’s “The Situation Room” that the Supreme Court justices believed they were “exempt” from accountability for their actions outside the courtroom.

Discussing ethics reforms he is pushing for, Durbin said, “When it gets down to the bottom line here what we’re talking about is bringing this court into compliance of all the other federal courts in America. These nine people have an exempt status, they believe and should not be held accountable for this for their actions outside the courtroom. I think all of this is public servants need to be held accountable whatever your party may be or philosophy may be.”

Anchor Wolf Blitzer said, “Even if you have the votes to pass an ethics code what chance will that have with Senate Republicans and over the GOP controlled House?”

Durbin said, “That’s a very good point, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to fold our tent and just shrink into the night. We believe this is valid issue, an important issue and one that deserves to be seen and debated publicly, and that’s what we’re doing. The first thing I did, Wolf, was not schedule a hearing. The first thing I did was to call over to the Supreme Court and say to the Chief Justice and staff I have a letter coming to him inviting him to come testify. I thought that was a proper thing to do.”

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