Commentary: Supreme Court’s ‘ethics code’ is a failed attempt to gaslight America

The Supreme Court’s new code of ethics is little more than a naked attempt to gaslight our nation after a year of disturbing reports showing the justices have been engaged in what would be considered highly unethical conduct in any other branch of government.

Chief Justice John Roberts would have Americans believe the justices’ self-inflicted ethical problems are merely a “misunderstanding” and that the justices are now simply codifying principles that already govern their conduct. In other words, “This is fine.”

But recent polls show a majority of Americans — regardless of political affiliation — disagree. It’s time to demand accountability from our country’s highest legal authority by passing the ethics code introduced by Senate Democrats.

Federal law requires justices to recuse themselves from hearing cases where their impartiality might reasonably be questioned — a mandate the Supreme Court has blatantly ignored and is now attempting to rewrite. The law says justices “shall disqualify” themselves in such cases, but the Supreme Court’s new code of conduct only suggests justices “should disqualify” themselves.