Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act

The Supreme Court Ethics and Investigations Act proposes to establish two new, independent offices within the Supreme Court of the United States to enhance judicial ethics and accountability. The first, the Office of Ethics Counsel , would be led by a chief ethics counsel and staff, tasked with advising Supreme Court justices and their spouses on various judicial ethics matters, including financial disclosures, gift acceptance, political activities, and conflicts of interest. This office would also be responsible for providing mandatory biannual ethics training to all justices and submitting an annual report to Congress detailing the advice given and its outcomes. The second office created is the Office of Investigative Counsel , comprising a Chief Investigative Counsel and at least two additional counsels. This office would be responsible for reviewing and investigating ethics complaints filed against justices, their spouses, or dependents by specified congressional leaders. The Chief Investigative Counsel would possess subpoena power to compel testimony and evidence during investigations. Upon completing an investigation, the office would submit a report with findings and actionable recommendations to the Chief Justice, or the most senior associate justice if the Chief Justice is the subject of the complaint. These reports would be made available to relevant congressional committees, and the office would be required to report potential federal criminal law violations to the Attorney General.