Supreme Court Finally Adopts An Ethics Code. Except It Has No Teeth.

The Supreme Court announced Monday that it has adopted an ethics code for the first time, a step that comes in response to its justices ― particularly conservative Justice Clarence Thomas ― facing scrutiny for undisclosed gifts from wealthy political donors.

But Democratic senators and progressive court reform groups are already saying it does next to nothing because there is no way to enforce it.

All nine justices signed onto the court’s new code of conduct. Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan and Brett Kavanaugh have previously voiced support for a formal ethics code in the aftermath of stories by ProPublica and other news outlets revealing Thomas’ previously undisclosed ties to conservative megadonor Harlan Crow.

“The undersigned Justices are promulgating this Code of Conduct to set out succinctly and gather in one place the ethics rules and principles that guide the conduct of the Members of the Court,” begins the 15-page document, which is built around the idea that justices must preserve the integrity of the court and convey a sense of impartiality in all cases.