{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-jordan-call-on-chief-justice-roberts-to-address-federal-judges-possible-ethics-violations", "Grassley, Jordan Call on Chief Justice Roberts to Address Federal Judges\u2019 Possible Ethics Violations", "2025-11-05", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) today wrote to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts regarding federal judges\u2019 anonymous, partisan and public statements smearing the Supreme Court.\n\nGrassley and Jordan\u2019s oversight follows anonymous statements made by federal judges to the press, which describe the relationship between the Supreme Court and lower courts as a \u201cwar zone\u201d and accuse the Supreme Court of \u201cundermining the lower courts,\u201d among other criticisms. The chairmen argue these inflammatory comments cast doubt on the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary and may violate the judges\u2019 ethical obligations.\n\n\u201cAs the Chairmen of the Committees on the Judiciary in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives, we preside over the congressional committees with legislative and oversight jurisdiction over the federal courts. We are deeply concerned that these public attacks on the Court from sitting federal judges damage the public\u2019s faith and confidence in our judicial system. When judges call into question the legitimacy of their own branch of government, they erode faith in the institution itself,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\nGrassley and Jordan are asking Roberts to clarify whether these statements violate the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, and if the judicial branch plans to investigate or address the conduct.\n\n\u201cWe urge you to consider the appropriateness of these public yet anonymous comments and whether they breach the ethical obligations of all federal judges. While we do not yet know the full extent of the comments or who the judges are, we remain convinced that judges should not be going to the press to undermine and denigrate the Supreme Court,\u201d the lawmakers continued.\n\nRead Grassley and Jordan\u2019s letter HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nFederal judges are bound by ethical canons included in the Code of Conduct for United States Judges. Canon 1 of the Code of Conduct states that \u201c[a] judge should uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary.\u201d Canon 2(A) specifies \u201c[a] judge . . . should act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.\u201d Canon 3(A)(6) states: \u201c[a] judge should not make public comment on the merits of a matter pending or impending in any court.\u201d\n\nIn 2024, Chief Judge Albert Diaz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit resolved a judicial complaint against District Judge Michael Ponsor for publishing an essay titled, \u201cA Federal Judge Wonders: How Could Alito Have Been So Foolish?\u201d Diaz concluded that Ponsor\u2019s statements violated Canons 1 and 2(A) by expressing \u201cpersonal opinions on controversial public issues\u201d and criticizing \u201cthe ethics of a sitting Supreme Court justice.\u201d Diaz also concluded that Ponsor\u2019s statements violated Canon 3(A)(6), noting \u201cit would be reasonable for a member of the public to perceive the essay as a commentary on partisan issues and as a call for Justice Alito\u2019s recusal.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-jordan-call-on-chief-justice-roberts-to-address-federal-judges-possible-ethics-violations"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4353268779814243, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}