During an appearance on MSNBC early Sunday morning, the former director of the United States Office of Government Ethics trashed Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts for saying nothing and doing nothing about the cloud of scandals hovering over Justice Clarence Thomas.
Speaking with host Katie Phang, attorney Walter Schaub expressed dismay with the chief justice, repeatedly saying, “Shame on him.”
With CNN reporting that Roberts is “punting” on testifying before the Senate about Thomas and his relationship with a conservative billionaire who has been financing the lavish lifestyle the justice and his wife Ginni have been living, Shaub lashed out at Roberts.
“I think it would be positively disgraceful if he refuses to speak – testify in front of Congress,” he told the MSNBC host. “It would be a real statement that the Supreme Court justices view themselves as rulers instead of public servants.”
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“They owe us a response, they owe us transparency,” he continued. “Roberts himself has been disdainful of government ethics, writing in a 2011 year-end report basically ‘hands-off’ the court should be able to regulate its own affairs. Obviously, they cannot regulate their affairs.”
“I don’t know that there is much Congress can do f he refuses to show up because, of course, to enforce subpoena you have to go to court and that would end up in the Supreme Court,” he added. “Unfortunately, that’s a no-win situation.”
“I think justice — Chief Justice Roberts owes us a response and shame on him if he doesn’t. It will only further erode trust in the court,” he told the host.
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