Just to show where the court's collective head is at:
All 9 Supreme Court justices push back on oversight: 'Raises more questions,' Senate chair says
WASHINGTON -- There's no conservative-liberal divide on the U.S. Supreme Court when it comes to calls for a new, enforceable ethics code.
All nine justices, in a rare step, on Tuesday released a joint statement reaffirming their voluntary adherence to a general code of conduct but rebutting proposals for independent oversight, mandatory compliance with ethics rules and greater transparency in cases of recusal.
The implication, though not expressly stated, is that the court unanimously rejects legislation proposed by Democrats seeking to impose on the justices the same ethics obligations applied to all other federal judges.
"The justices ... consult a wide variety of authorities to address specific ethical issues," the members of the high court said in
a document titled "Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices."
It appears to be the first time an entire court has publicly explained its approach to ethics issues and attested to specific parts of federal law governing their conduct.