U.S. Supreme Court report fails to identify abortion ruling leak culprit

Despite an 8-month investigation The US Supreme Court didn’t identify the person or people who were responsible for leaking a draft of their landmark decision to overturn the 1973 Roe V Wade law which make abortion a federal right.

The leak, which resulted in news outlet Politico publishing the draft ruling on May 2, triggered an internal crisis within the court, prompting a political battle and rallies by abortion rights supporters both at the courthouse and outside the homes of some of the nine justices nationwide.

The investigation, which was detailed in a 20-page report, found that 82 court employees, along with the 9 justices, had access to electronic or hard copies of the draft opinion which was penned by conservative Justice Samuel Alito.  The draft only had minor differences when compared to the final decision.

The investigation, which is being led by the court’s chief security officer Gail Curley at the direction of Chief Justice John Roberts, failed to identify who was responsible for the leak, stating that none of the 97 court employees interviewed confessed to the disclosure. The report did not explicitly say whether or not the justices were interviewed.

The lack of a source did cause a backlash from conservatives.

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley tweeted that the court’s inability to find the leaker is “chilling.”

“The Supreme Court’s report indicates that they cannot isolate the culprit among the over 80 possible suspects for the Dobbs leak. It is an admission that is almost as chilling as the leak itself,” Turley said.

“It will likely revive concerns over whether the FBI should have been asked to take the lead on the investigation. The Court is only a few blocks from the world’s leading forensic investigatory body. What is clear is that any hope for a deterrent on such unethical conduct has been dramatically reduced. Thus far, the culprit succeeded in not just leaking the opinion but evading detection.”

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said that the source of the leak must be identified and dealt with accordingly.

“It’s deeply troubling that the Dobbs leaker still has not been found. The Supreme Court depends on trust to deliberate, and this leak is incredibly damaging to the Court’s ability to function normally,” Cruz tweeted. “The leaker must be brought to justice!”

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) said that someone should step down over this.

“This is inexcusable. And it means brazen attempts like this one to change the Court’s decisions – from within – will become more common. Someone ought to resign for this. The person who did this, whoever it was, put at risk the lives of hundreds of pregnancy care center volunteers, whose centers were attacked and fire bombed, to say nothing of the justices themselves,” Hawley said.

ARTICLE: PAUL MURDOCH

MANAGING EDITOR: LUKE MOCHERMAN

PHOTO: REUTERS

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Paul Murdoch

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

Latest posts by Paul Murdoch (see all)

• Homeless cabins built along prime riverside real estate in Portland - April 12, 2023
• Russia starts fuel supplies to Iran by rail, sources say - April 12, 2023
• Eyeing re-election, Ted Cruz seeks to build bipartisan image - April 11, 2023