By Jacqueline Thomsen
(Reuters) - Former U.S. appeals court judge and prominent conservative J. Michael Luttig on Wednesday said he believes U.S. Supreme Court justices should "be bound by higher standards of conduct" than lower-ranked federal judges, adding to calls for tighter high court ethics rules.
"It’s the titular head of the judicial branch of government and I believe that the expectations for Supreme Court justices are rightly higher than for any other public official in the land," Luttig said in an interview with Reuters.
Luttig clerked for former Chief Justice Warren Burger at the Supreme Court before serving on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for 15 years. He testified last year before the congressional select committee investigating the siege on the U.S. Capitol by former President Donald Trump's supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.
Speaking at the Catholic University of America in Washington on Wednesday, Luttig declined to comment when asked by Reuters about reporting by ProPublica that examined U.S. Justice Clarence Thomas' relationship with wealthy Republican donor Harlan Crow, including real estate purchases and luxury travel paid for by Crow.
The reports have raised questions over potential conflicts of interest for the justices and the court. Unlike other federal court judges, U.S. Supreme Court justices are not bound by a code of conduct.
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin has scheduled a hearing on the topic for next week. U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday declined Durbin's invitation to testify at the hearing.
"Supreme Court ethics reform must happen whether the Court participates in the process or not," Durbin said in a statement responding to Roberts' letter.
"It is time for Congress to accept its responsibility to establish an enforceable code of ethics for the Supreme Court, the only agency of our government without it."