In a bold move, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has introduced articles of impeachment against conservative Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. This is in response to their failure to disclose gifts they have received while serving on the court. Ocasio-Cortez accuses the justices of breaking the law by not disclosing millions of dollars in gifts and failing to recuse themselves from cases involving their benefactors.
In a statement, Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the importance of holding Thomas and Alito accountable, calling their actions a constitutional crisis. She believes Congress has a legal, moral, and democratic obligation to impeach the justices.
This move reflects a larger trend among House Democrats to prioritize the Supreme Court in their campaign messaging. Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Jamie Raskin hosted a panel on Supreme Court ethics last month, signaling their intentions to investigate alleged ethical lapses by the justices if they gain a Democratic majority in the House.
While Ocasio-Cortez’s impeachment attempt is the most aggressive proposal by Democrats, other legislation aimed at regulating the Supreme Court has been introduced in the House. However, these bills face little chance of success while Republicans control the House and can block legislation in the Senate with the filibuster.
Critics of the justices, including Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Ron Wyden, have called for a special counsel to investigate Thomas’s relationship with wealthy friends and whether it violated any laws. Both Thomas and Alito have denied any wrongdoing and maintain they have followed the court’s ethics and financial disclosure protocols.
Last year, under pressure from the public and Congress, the Supreme Court introduced its own code of ethics. However, the enforcement of these ethics rules is left to the individual justices.
CNN’s Tierney Sneed contributed to this report.
