Chief Justice Roberts Refuses to Testify on Supreme Court Ethics Before Senate Judiciary Hearing

Chief Justice John Roberts has declined an invitation to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Supreme Court ethics. In a letter to Chairman Dick Durbin, Roberts cited the importance of preserving judicial independence and separation of powers. Durbin had requested Roberts' testimony in the wake of a report that Justice Clarence Thomas had gone on undisclosed luxury trips. Durbin has called for Congress to establish an enforceable code of ethics for the Supreme Court.