The U.S. Supreme Court’s chief justice has declined to testify to Congress on ethics issues.
Chief Justice John Roberts informed Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) of the refusal on April 25.
Durbin, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, had urged Roberts to answer questions under oath at an upcoming public hearing.
The hearing will go over how justices are “falling short of the ethical standards expected of other federal judges,” Durbin said. He added that testifying could help “strengthen faith in our public institutions.”
Roberts said in reply that he was declining the request.
Testimony before Congress by the Supreme Court’s chief justice “is exceedingly rare, as one might expect in light of separation of powers concerns and the importance of preserving judicial independence,” Roberts wrote….