Representatives Stansbury, Omar Fight for Transparency at Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)introduced the Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act of 2025, creating an Office of the Inspector General to ensure accountability by justices in the Supreme Court of the United States who are failing to police themselves from the influence of political mega donors.   

The legislation comes while the Trump Administration is firing independent inspectors general across agencies in an effort to dismantle the separation of powers, and as conservative mega donors continue to use the lack of transparency as an avenue for expanding power for personal gain.  

The Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act of 2025 is co-led by Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05). 

The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Seth Magaziner (RI-02),  Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), and Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-03). 

“Donald Trump and mega-donors like Harlan Crow have systematically destroyed the separation of powers in this country, and eroded the trust Americans have in our court system,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). “Strong judicial ethics are foundational to a free and democratic society. Safeguarding the fundamental checks and balances is paramount during this time of lawless and unconstitutional chaos stoked by an adversarial administration. An Inspector General will protect Americans from a Court influenced by special interest groups looking to strip people of their rights in favor of their agendas.”   

“The highest court in the land should not be the least accountable,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05). “While federal judges are bound by clear ethical guidelines, Supreme Court justices continue to operate without real enforcement mechanisms—even in the face of serious ethical breaches, undisclosed gifts, and potential conflicts of interest. If we want to preserve the integrity of our democracy, we must ensure that no one—not even a Supreme Court justice—is above the law. I’m proud to co-lead this critical legislation to hold our nation’s most powerful judges accountable.” 

“Americans must believe judges are free to make impartial decisions based solely on law and fact, free from fear of retribution,” said Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), Ranking Member of the Judiciary subcommittee on Courts. “But our 250-year experiment in self-governance will succeed only if Americans can trust that judicial independence means that judges are not subject to pressure and influence. Creating an Office of Inspector General for the entire federal judiciary, who can conduct impartial investigations of alleged misconduct, would go a long way to help strengthen our third branch of government. Now more than ever, our judiciary needs critical safeguards such as this legislation, which I am proud to cosponsor.” 

“Public confidence in the federal judiciary is an essential component to the stability and longevity of America’s constitutional republic, and that starts at the very top, with the highest court in the land,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05). “To rehabilitate the American people’s faith in the independence of the Supreme Court, it’s important to provide a level of transparency and accountability that will guarantee the Justices are adjudicating decisions based on the constitution and the rule of law, not the desires of special interests. The Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act is an important part of that process, and I’m proud to join Reps. Stansbury and Omar in this effort to restore integrity to our federal court system.” 

"Supreme Court Justices have repeatedly prioritized the interests of donors and the whims of billionaires over the constitution and the civil rights of Americans. Given the court’s inability to ensure its own accountability to the American people, it is up to Congress to address the integrity of the courts and the impacts of corruption," said Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03). "The Supreme Court, like any other federal entity, needs an Inspector General to ensure ethical standards and to stop big-money elites from co-opting the judicial branch." 

The Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act of 2025 would authorize the creation of an Office of the Inspector General within the judicial branch who would have the authority to investigate actions of the Justices on the Supreme Court ensuring there is accountability especially in America’s highest court. The legislation would also:  

• Authorize the Inspector General to conduct investigations of alleged violations of the Code of Conduct for Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.   
• Authorize the powers and limitations of the Office of the Inspector General when investigating the Court.   
• Structure the duties of the Inspector General which would include conducting and supervising audits and investigations, preventing and detecting waste, fraud, and abuse; and recommending changes in laws or regulations relating to the code of conduct adopted by the Supreme Court.   
• Require the Inspector General to make prompt reports to the Chief Justice and to Congress on matters that may require action by the Chief Justice or Congress.  
• Require the Inspector General to report expeditiously to the Attorney General whenever the Inspector General has reasonable grounds to believe there has been a violation of Federal criminal law.   
• Require the Inspector General to provide an annual report to both the House of Representatives and the Senate on the results of their investigations.   
• Set appointments, term limits and removals of the inspector general.   
• Provide protection for whistleblowers.  

Statements of support are below:   

“The Supreme Court should be the pillar of justice in our democracy, but instead, it has become a symbol of corruption and unchecked power,” said End Citizens United Action Fund President Tiffany Muller. “Corrupt justices are putting their billionaire benefactors ahead of the American people, and the public’s trust in our highest Court has been shattered. The Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act of 2025 is a crucial step toward ensuring accountability and restoring public confidence in the Court. We thank Congresswoman Stansbury for her continued leadership and advocacy in the fight to reform the judiciary.” 

“The Supreme Court’s constitutional role in safeguarding our democratic institutions is even more vital today as President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE seek to destroy our system of checks and balances,” said Caroline Ciccone President of Accountable.US. “But we cannot expect the court to defend our democracy if it refuses to handle its own corruption crisis. Conflicted justices’ cozy relationships with billionaires and powerful special interests continue to undermine public confidence in the judiciary. The Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act will help to remedy this problem. We are thankful to Rep. Stansbury, Rep. Omar and other members of Congress who co-sponsored this bill for their leadership in ensuring the high court serves everyday Americans—not just the powerful few.” 

“A strong, independent Supreme Court is critical for a functioning system of checks and balances--and ensuring those that sit on our highest court are held to the highest ethics standards is a crucial part of securing that independence.” said Maggie Jo Buchanan, Managing Director of Demand Justice. “Wave after wave of ethics scandals have deeply rattled people across our nation, adding to the stress many are experiencing at this unprecedented moment for our government. A majority of Americans across the political spectrum already support a binding code of ethics. The justices of the Supreme Court must be accountable to the people, not to billionaire benefactors and wealthy special interest groups.” 

"The judiciary has for too long been left to its own devices when it comes to investigating misconduct and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse (though spare me the notion that the so-called Department of Government Efficiency is best suited for the job — we need adults appointed by adults who can be removed for cause in oversight positions, not whatever DOGE is),” said Gabe Roth, Executive Director at Fix The Court. “With this bill Rep. Stansbury is correctly asserting that Congress can empower an independent IG to investigate and expose misconduct across the third branch, whether that be a judge who's accepting too many lavish gifts or a federal defender who's harassing his employees. The bill has bipartisan origins, and I look forward to Republicans one day joining Rep. Stansbury and other Democrats who seek to build a more ethical and accountable judiciary." 

“Americans expect and deserve an ethical and unbiased Supreme Court, but the Court has repeatedly shown that it is unable to police itself,” said Aaron Scherb, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs at Common Cause. “Ensuring checks and balances for the Supreme Court will help maintain its legitimacy, and the Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act is a critical step to achieve that goal. Common Cause thanks Congresswoman Stansbury for championing this important legislation, and we urge Congress to quickly pass this bill.” 

"Gen Z deserves a justice system they can trust — one that is fair, ethical, and truly serves the people. But that’s impossible if the judges overseeing our system aren’t held to the same standards of accountability and oversight as everyone else,” said Jackson Hurley, Senior Director for Political Strategy at Voters of Tomorrow. We applaud Rep. Melanie Stansbury’s leadership on this issue and are proud to support this legislation. At a time when Trump and his allies continue to politicize and weaponize judicial appointments, this is a critical step toward reforming our democracy and ensuring our justice system works for all of us."  

"At a time when the Supreme Court is about to face some of the toughest questions about the fate of our democracy, with some of their wealthiest benefactors’ interests on the line, it is essential that they have their own house in order," said Keith Thirion, interim Co-President of Alliance for Justice. "It should not be too much to ask that the Supreme Court be held to the same ethical standards as all other federal judges and not simply be left to police themselves. We are grateful to see this legislation reintroduced and the important conversation of Supreme Court ethics continued." 

“Now more than ever, we need a judicial branch that both is independent and that the public trusts to be independent,” said Debra Perlin, Vice President for Policy at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW). “By empowering an inspector general to provide the same type of oversight that we have come to rely on for rooting out fraud, waste, abuse, and misconduct in the executive branch, the Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act brings much needed and well overdue accountability to our court system. We applaud Rep. Stansbury for introducing this important bill and urge Congress to pass it without delay.”

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