The Ongoing Battle Over Ethics in the Supreme Court

The legitimacy of the Supreme Court is being questioned after Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose 20 years of lavish trips paid for by a billionaire Republican donor. Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin has asked Chief Justice John Roberts to update the committee on the ethics of the court. Roberts has previously defended the court's exemption from ethics rules governing the rest of the federal judiciary. Some members of Congress have called for Thomas to resign or be impeached, while others have urged him to clear the air. In the past, Congress has used moral pressure against Supreme Court justices, such as in the cases of Abe Fortas and William O. Douglas.