To amend title 28, United States Code, to establish an Office of Ethics Counsel and an Office of Investigative Counsel within the Supreme Court of the United States.
This bill would establish two new independent offices within the Supreme Court to oversee judicial ethics and investigate misconduct by the justices. The Office of Ethics Counsel would provide guidance to justices and their spouses on ethics matters including financial disclosures, gift acceptance, conflicts of interest, and recusal decisions, while conducting biannual ethics training for all justices and submitting annual reports to Congress. The Office of Investigative Counsel would investigate ethics complaints filed by congressional leaders, with authority to issue subpoenas and compel testimony, and would submit findings and recommendations to the Chief Justice or Congress, which could include sanctions such as recusal or divestiture. Both offices would be headed by experienced attorneys earning at least $225,000 annually, appointed by the Chief Justice and serving defined terms or at his discretion. The bill would give Congress access to investigation reports within ten days of completion and require the investigative office to report potential criminal violations to the Attorney General.
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