Newly-public whistleblower documents reveal that Jane Roberts, wife of Chief Justice John Roberts, made millions in commissions from elite law firms, and Roberts did not recuse when at least one of those firms had business before the Supreme Court.
In a sworn affidavit from December, Kendal B. Price asserted that Chief Justice Roberts “has not complied with his legal obligations regarding judicial recusals, and/or proper disclosure of household income.”
Price worked alongiside Roberts’ wife, Jane, at the legal recruiting firm of Major, Lindsey & Africa.
According to Price, Mrs. Roberts has been paid some $10.3 million dollars by a host of elite law firms, putting her at the top of the pay scale for legal headhunters, and at least one of those firms argued before the Court without Justice Roberts recusing himself.
“During the time I was there, I was discouraged from ever raising the issue,” Price told the media outlet Insider. And I realized that even the law firms who were Jane’s clients had nowhere to go. They were being asked by the spouse of the Chief Justice for business worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and there was no one to complain to. Most of these firms were likely appearing or seeking to appear before the Supreme Court. It’s natural that they’d do anything they felt was necessary to be competitive.”
The latest revelation comes just three days after Roberts said he would “respectfully decline” an offer to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 2. Instead, Roberts offered a statement signed by all the Justices in which they “reaffirm and restate foundational ethics principles and practices” to which they abide.
Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-IL) called for the hearing following revelations that Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch failed to publicly disclose—either entirely or in part—high-priced gifts and business transactions.
Court ethics is an issue that’s come up before in recent months, most notably after someone in early May leaked a draft of the Supreme Court’s ultimate decision to overturn Roe v Wade in late June. The Court’s own internal investigation failed to finger the leaker.
The U.S. Supreme Court is virtually the only court in the country without a formal code of ethics.
As the Judiciary Committee is beginning its investigation, Sens. Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski, (R-AK) introduced a bill that’s aimed at forcing the Supreme Court to establish a code of ethics within a year. Under the proposed legislation the Court would have to establish a code of conduct with rules published on its website, designate an official to handle violations, and publish an annual report on any complaints and actions taken.
Mrs. Roberts did not respond to emails from Insider with detailed questions. When reached by phone she declined to comment, as did a spokesperson for the Supreme Court.
In an emailed statement to Insider, John Cashman, the president of Major, Lindsey & Africa, said that Jane Roberts was “one of several very successful recruiters” at the firm. He attributed his recruiters’ success to “the highest standards: Candidate confidentiality, client trust, and professionalism.”
