Petition: Hold the Supreme Court accountable

This is a big win for transparency and accountability.

Pamela, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch finally recused himself from a case that could benefit his Big Oil friends, after more than 38,000 Common Cause members like you demanded it! [1] We demanded his recusal because we know what's at stake, and that justices – in this case and every other – must rule based on the law and the facts, NOT personal or financial interests. But the truth is, it shouldn't take a massive public pressure campaign to get justices to do the right thing and follow their own ethical code – it should be the law. This is a crucial win – but the only way to ensure justices recuse themselves from ALL cases where they have conflicts of interest is with a strong, enforceable Code of Conduct. Add your name to demand one today >> SIGN THE PETITION Gorsuch had a clear, blatant conflict of interest in this case, Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, which could roll back environmental regulations while making millions of dollars for Justice Gorsuch's friend and mentor, Big Oil billionaire Philip Anschutz. [2] But apparently this conflict wasn't clear to Justice Gorsuch – who voted to take up the case in the first place and only bowed out at the last minute after intense public pressure from democracy activists like you. Make no mistake – this is a big win for transparency and accountability. But it also illustrates exactly what's wrong with our broken ethics system: the Supreme Court's weak code of conduct is voluntary and unenforceable, so justices are not required to recuse themselves from cases that would benefit them personally or financially.   And that's by design: Justice Gorsuch actually had a major hand in weakening the Supreme Court's code of conduct before it even took effect! [3] We can't count on these ethically unreliable justices to follow the rules – we must hold them accountable. Pamela, we must continue fighting for a binding and enforceable Supreme Court Code of Conduct. If you agree, add your name to our petition demanding one >> Thanks for all you do, Aaron Scherb, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs and the team at Common Cause [1] https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/12/supreme-court-ethics-neil-gorsuch-recusal.html [2] https://www.courthousenews.com/new-term-same-ethics-problems-gorsuchs-ties-to-oil-billionaire-reignite-calls-for-court-oversight/ [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/03/us/supreme-court-ethics-rules.html Common Cause is a leader in fights that matter at the local, state, and national level. Your support helps us fight special interests, hold elected officials accountable, and build a better democracy for all Americans. DONATE Interested in volunteering with our Action Team? Sign up here. 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20005 202.833.1200 https://commoncause.org Common Cause's work to defend and strengthen our democracy is powered by members like you. You can use this link to unsubscribe or let us know you'd like to receive fewer emails from us.

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