Chief Justice John

G.

Roberts

Jr

declined a request from the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify at a hearing next week

of the US Supreme Court

ethical standards,

In court

instead providing the panel with an ethics statement that has been reaffirmed by the court’s nine judges.

Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee

Richard J

Durbin

(

Dill.

) had

invited Roberts’ testimony last week and said there had been a steady stream of revelations about judges not meeting the ethical standards expected of other federal judges.

The invitation came after news reports of a close relationship between Judge Clarence Thomas and a conservative donor from Texas. The donor, Dallas billionaire Harlan Crow, had purchased three properties from Thomas and his family in a transaction worth more than $100,000 that Thomas never reported, according to nonprofit investigative journalism organization ProPublica.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Judge Thomas’ gifts twenty years ago. After that, he stopped revealing it

In a letter to Durbin on Tuesday, Roberts said he would respectfully deny the committee’s request, noting: Testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by the Chief Justice of the United States is exceedingly rare, as one would expect in light of concerns about the separation of powers and the importance of preserving judicial independence.”

His letter to Durbin accompanied a statement on ethical principles and practices, signed by all nine judges, outlining the ethical rules they follow regarding travel, gifts and outside income. While the rules are not new, the statement said the undersigned justices today reaffirm and reiterate the fundamental ethical principles and practices they subscribe to in carrying out their responsibilities as members of the Supreme Court of the United States.

The statement sets out the standards for the activities of judges out of court and describes the process of challenge, which is generally up to each individual judge. Judges do not have to explain why they are withdrawing from a case.

Nothing in Robert’s letter or the statement attributed to all nine judges suggests they feel chastened by recent reports. But it’s the first time current members have spoken about ethical issues as a group.

Justice Clarence Thomas says he will reveal more about future free travel

Durbin said in a statement he was surprised by the court’s response, as it suggests the current law is adequate and ignores the obvious.

A judge’s actions, including travel on yachts and private jets, were not made public, Durbin said. That same justice has not disclosed the sale of property he partially owned to a party with interests before the Supreme Court.

Durbin said he would go ahead with the hearing, which would review common sense proposals to hold judges more accountable for ethical guidelines.

Gabe Roth, executive director of the transparency group Fix the Court, said the judges’ statements reiterated inadequate ethical standards.

Make no mistake: Robert’s statement is nowhere near an appropriate response to the current Court’s ethical shortcomings, Roth said in a statement.

Abcarian: What Clarence Thomas calls hospitality is much more like corruption

ProPublica also revealed that Crow gifted Thomas and his wife, conservative activist Ginni Thomas, hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual vacations and travel over several decades, including international cruises on his mega-yacht, private jet flights, and stays at Crow’s invitation. only resort in New York’s Adirondacks. But the 2014 real estate deal is the first public record of a direct financial transaction between Crow and Justice Thomas.

Ethics experts have expressed conflicting opinions on whether Thomas was obligated to disclose the Crow-funded luxury travel. Thomas said in a statement that he was advised by colleagues that this type of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who had no court cases, could not be reported.

Thomas did not name the judges or those in the judiciary with whom he had consulted.

Calmes: Why are we stuck with a Supreme Court Justice who is breaking the law?

Last month, the federal judiciary strengthened disclosure requirements for all judges, including Supreme Court justices, but overnight stays in personal vacation homes owned by their friends remain exempt from disclosure.

The ethics statement Thomas sent to Durbin notes that the Judicial Conferences Committee on Financial Disclosure had clarified the scope of the personal hospitality exemption from the disclosure rules.

Durbin’s original letter had asked whether Roberts or another judge would appear before the commission on May 2. He told Roberts that the scope of the testimony would be limited to the ethical rules for Supreme Court justices and possible changes to those rules.

Robert’s refusal to testify is the latest hiccup for Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. With Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California absent indefinitely, the committee has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, preventing it from moving certain judges to the Senate floor for confirmation votes and presumably from subpoenaing Roberts.

In refusing to testify, Roberts also ignored Durbin’s invitation to have another judge appear instead. The last time judges met with the Senate Judiciary Committee was in October 2011, when then-Judges Antonin Scalia and Stephen G. Breyer testified.

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.