In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said he has a “pretty good idea” on who leaked his Dobbs draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade and is certain as to why.
The associate Supreme Court justice added that the revelation made the five conservatives on the court “targets of assassination.” (RELATED: Gunman With Burglary Tools Arrested Near Brett Kavanaugh's Home)
Alito's draft decision was leaked in May 2022 to Politico's senior legal writer Josh Gerstein, who called it a “full-throated, unflinching repudiation” of Roe. Alito further told The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto and David B. Rivkin Jr. that the unprecedented turn of events “created an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust.”
The Hill has more:
Chief Justice John Roberts directed the court's marshal to launch an investigation to try to identify the person responsible for leaking the information to Politico, but the high court said in January it was unable to find the source.
The Supreme Court overturned Roe in a 5-4 ruling in the Dobbs case last June. Roberts voted to uphold a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi that was being reviewed, but he joined the court's liberals in opposing the overturning of the precedent.
Alito said in the interview the marshal “did a good job with the resources available,” but the evidence was not sufficient to name a suspect.
Reflecting on the situation, Alito commented that “I personally have a pretty good idea who is responsible, but that's different from the level of proof that is needed to name somebody.”
Regardless of the identity of the leaker and their motive, the leak effectively froze the votes in the case in the final weeks before the decision was released, according to reporting in the book, “Nine Black Robes.” It prevented the opportunity for compromise in the weeks before the ruling was out, according to the book.
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I think that’s horse crap. The notion that a conservative was the leaker in order to lock down the votes and head off a deal that would have preserved Roe is nuts. Sotomayor was the leaker. No doubt about it.
So, once again the Supreme Court plays politics. SCOTUS is supposed to follow the Constitution not make rulings to appease one political party or the other. Just do what you are supposed to do!!