'Code of conduct:' Elena Kagan calls for new Supreme Court rules amid Clarence Thomas flap
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WASHINGTON - Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan says she hopes colleagues will adopt an ethics "code of conduct," while a new report details a relationship between Justice Clarence Thomas and conservative political activists.
New ethics rules would "go far in persuading other people that we were adhering to the highest standards of conduct," Kagan said during a Friday speech at Notre Dame Law School. "I hope we can make progress.”
Kagan did not mention Thomas or any other justice by name.
Her suggestion came the same day that ProPublica published another installment in a string of stories about Thomas and wealthy donors who have the potential of business before the court. The latest story concerns the Koch Brothers, philanthropists who have spent millions on behalf of various conservative causes.
ProPublica reported that "Thomas has attended Koch donor events at least twice over the years," and "that puts Thomas in the extraordinary position of having served as a fundraising draw for a network that has brought cases before the Supreme Court, including one of the most closely watched of the upcoming term."
The report noted that the Koch political network has an interest in a pending Supreme Court case seeking to limit "federal agencies’ power to issue regulations in areas ranging from the environment to labor rights to consumer protection."
Members of Congress have discussed legislation setting ethics standards for the Supreme Court, though it is uncertain whether they have the legal authority to regulate what is a separate branch of government.
Kagan's remarks strike a similar tone to those made a few weeks ago by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who signaled that the Supreme Court may take steps "soon" to address ethics scandals that have eroded confidence and sparked a partisan fight in Congress over whether lawmakers can force a code of ethics on the nation's highest court. Chief Justice John Roberts told an audience in May that the ethics scandals swirling around the court were an "issue of concern" and that the justices were "continuing to look at things" to address the problem.
Stand Together, the formal name of the Koch political network, said in a statement that Thomas did not participate in fundraising discussions and their events have a public service purpose.
"Our summits provide a forum for people to learn about how they can partner with one another to solve big problems in our country," the statement said.
It added: "The idea that attending a couple events to promote a book or give dinner remarks, as all the justices do, could somehow be undue influence just doesn’t hold water."
Dig deeper Case closed? Supreme Court silent after Thomas luxury travel raised ethics scandal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elena Kagan calls for new Supreme Court code amid Clarence Thomas flap
