SCOTUS can address ethics as 'independent branch,’ Chief Justice Roberts says amid Clarence Thomas attacks

The Supreme Court remains "committed" to ensuring that justices uphold the "highest standards of conduct," Chief Justice John Roberts declared Tuesday.

Roberts made the statement during an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., lightly acknowledging the ongoing attacks on Justice Clarence Thomas over ethics claims. Roberts nevertheless told the audience at the American Law Institute (ALI) that neither Congress nor the executive branch should interfere in the court's affairs.

"I want to assure people that I am committed to making certain that we as a court adhere to the highest standards of conduct," Roberts said. "We are continuing to look at things we can do to give practical effect to that commitment."

"I am confident there are ways to do that that are consistent with our status as an independent branch of government under the Constitution's separation of powers," he added.