Chief Justice John Roberts is decrying the leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court.
However, he says if the person or people behind the leak hoped to influence the court’s decision process, they are mistaken.
Roberts addressed the leak of the draft during the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference meeting, according to a report from The Washington Post.
“A leak of this sort — let’s assume that’s what it is — is absolutely appalling, and if the people behind it, or person behind it, thinks that it’s going to have an effect on our decision process, that’s absolutely foolish,” Roberts said.
He continued, “We will go about doing our work as we would in any event, regardless of the leak.”
Additionally, the chief justice shared that the “thing that upsets me quite a bit, though, is that it might give the wrong impression about our workforce.”
“The people who work at the Supreme Court are extremely dedicated to the institution, and in fact to the rule of law… They share a common commitment to the mission of the court,” Roberts said.
He added, “And this episode, this absolutely appalling episode, shouldn’t detract from that.”
On Monday, Politico published a report based on a leaked draft of an opinion that appeared to indicate the Supreme Court would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Supreme Court confirmed that the leaked draft was authentic.
However, the statement said that the draft “does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.”
Roberts said in a statement earlier this week that the leak was a “singular and egregious breach.”
He also ordered an investigation of the leak.
Chief Justice John Roberts:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 3, 2022
“To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed…I have directed the Marshal of the Court to launch an investigation into the source of the leak.” pic.twitter.com/JFDQ28sW8n
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speculated that the draft opinion was leaked by a “left-wing law clerk” in an attempt to create political pressure that would alter the final decision of the court, as IJR reported.
“They wanted to put heat and they wanted to invoke politics to try to get them to change their vote. And by the way, if that left-wing law clerk succeeds, it will be the most grotesque politicization of the Supreme Court in the history of our nation,” he told Fox News.
Cruz added, “I hope there is a serious [investigation]. And I hope whoever is responsible for this not only is fired instantly but is prosecuted and serves real jail time for violating the confidences of the Supreme Court.”