NEWS: Sen. Schiff Launches Push for Judicial Reforms, Increased Transparency Amid Historic Democratic Rollbacks by Supreme Court

Schiff, House allies are calling for the passage of legislation aimed at increasing transparency and improving conflict-of-interest guardrails for federal judges and Supreme Court Justices Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, launched his push for Congress to pass legislation to strengthen accountability, transparency, and ethical standards across the federal judicial court system. These proposed reforms are necessary in addition to other significant reforms to the Supreme Court and judiciary, including term limits, expanding the Court, and enforcing a code of ethics. As the Supreme Court wraps up a session defined by historic rollbacks of the Voting Rights Act and other democratic guardrails, Schiff is pushing a legislative package that includes bills to restore faith in the federal judiciary and address abuses of power, including by Supreme Court Justices. The bills would apply conflict of interest ethical standards to federal judges and Justices, require judges and Justices to place financial assets into blind trusts, and make the federal judiciary subject to the Freedom of Information Act . “The federal judicial system is desperately in need of reform to prevent further ethical lapses. The Supreme Court, and our federal judiciary at large, must be held to the highest standards, but time after time, judges have engaged in troubling acts, putting personal interests above the law and Constitution. I have long called for necessary reforms to regain trust in our system. We must hold judges to the same ethical standards as other federal officials, enhance transparency within the court system, and ensure cases are decided based on merit, not profits. Americans deserve nothing less,” said Senator Schiff. Background: A steady stream of alarming revelations in recent years has severely undermined public faith in the independence and integrity of the federal judiciary, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Investigative reports have uncovered a pervasive culture of undisclosed luxury gifts and glaring conflicts of interest, all while Justices refuse to recuse themselves from major cases tied directly to their benefactors’ financial or political advantage. To regain the American people’s trust in our courts, Congress must pass rigorous, binding statutory guardrails that ensure no federal judge can operate above the ethical standards expected of other public servants. Schiff’s legislative package includes: The Judicial Integrity Act , which would hold judges and Supreme Court Justices to higher ethical standards by applying the federal conflict-of-interest statute, which currently applies to Executive Branch officials, to the federal judiciary. Doing so would restrict judges’ and Justices’ ability to participate in any official matters in which they hold a financial interest. U.S. Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.-37) is leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the Senate, this legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). “Americans’ confidence in our federal judiciary has reached a record low. With Supreme Court Justices reportedly accepting lavish vacations from billionaires and issuing decisions that seemingly favor the president over the constitution, it’s no surprise that this trust is broken,” said Rep. Kamlager-Dove. “I’m proud to introduce the Judicial Integrity Act , which would combat undue outside influence by requiring judicial employees to meet the same financial conflict-of-interest standards as the executive branch. Together, this legislative package would establish an enforceable code of ethics for federal judges and justices, taking long-overdue steps to bring transparency and accountability back to our courts.” The Justice is BLIND Act ,whichwould prevent judicial conflicts of interest by requiring federal judges and Supreme Court Justices to place their financial assets into blind trusts. Under this bill, all federal judges, Supreme Court Justices, magistrate judges, and bankruptcy judges, as well as their spouses and dependent children, must place covered financial interests into a qualified blind trust within 90 days of enactment or being sworn into office. Judges must provide a written compliance attestation within 15 days of establishing the trust, which the Administrative Office of the United States Courts will publish on a searchable public database. U.S. Representative Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-4) is leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the Senate, this legislation is co-sponsored by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). “Transparency and accountability are at the heart of the public’s trust in government,” said Rep. Johnson , Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet. “Americans deserve to know that officials in every branch of government — including the judiciary — are acting honorably and in the interest of the people, not their bank accounts. The Justice Is Blind Act would go a long way in preventing any conflicts of interest that might arise and help restore trust in our judiciary by requiring judges and justices to place their financial assets in blind trusts.” The Judicial FOIA Expansion Act , which would increase transparency by subjecting the administrative offices of the federal judiciary to the same Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements currently applied to executive branch agencies. The bill creates an explicit right of public access to specific administrative records, including judicial complaints, investigations, and orders against court personnel; attorney disciplinary proceedings; Judicial Conference meeting calendars and minutes; and PACER technical audits or update plans. U.S. Representative Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.-10) is leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the Senate, this legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). “Trust in our judicial system is waning because judges are not being held to the highest ethical standards. I’m introducing the Judicial FOIA Expansion Act to allow the public right of access to all records, including any judicial complaints. It is incumbent upon Congress to pass legislation to update ethical guidelines for judges and increase transparency, so that they are beholden only to the Constitution and the rule of law, not whoever is lining their pockets,” said Congressman Dan Goldman. Senator Schiff is a strong supporter of other legislation to establish term limits for Supreme Court Justices, expand the number of seats on the Court, and require the Court to enact an enforceable code of ethics. “The judiciary is not some mystical priesthood whose members perform work that’s beyond human understanding. The branch comprises government workers doing government jobs, and as such, a segregable part of their work product that’s not related to national security and does not include personal information should be subject to the same open records laws as those for executive branch officials. Fix the Court is pleased to endorse the Judicial FOIA Expansion Act and applauds Sen. Schiff’s leadership in advocating for greater openness from what’s become the most powerful, least accountable branch,” said Gabe Roth, Executive Director, Fix the Court. “Federal judges and Justices make decisions that have an enormous impact on our daily lives. We enthusiastically support strengthening the ethical rules that they have to follow. That protects all of us,” said Svante Myrick, President, People for the American Way. “Bringing FOIA to the federal judiciary aligns it with the executive branch and numerous state judiciaries that are already subject to Sunlight laws. The federal judiciary was appropriated north of nine billion dollars for 2026 and American taxpayers deserve to know how that money is being spent. Faith in the rule of law is a founding tenet of our democracy that is strengthened by the transparency this bill brings,” said Michael Lissner, Executive Director Free Law Project. “Faith in our system of justice must be restored, and increasing transparency and stronger ethics requirements are a critical mechanism to moving us in that direction. In a moment where the American people are deeply dissatisfied with government, taking steps to decouple corruption and the courts is essential. We applaud Senator Schiff’s efforts to do just that,” said Lisa Gilbert, Co-President Public Citizen. “Ensuring the impartiality and integrity of the federal judiciary is crucial to maintaining the democratic values our country was founded upon. By setting strong ethical standards and preventing conflicts of interests in the judiciary, we can protect these principles and strengthen our democracy,” said Debra Perlin, Vice President of Policy for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). “The Justice is BLIND Act and the Judicial Integrity Act, introduced by Senator Schiff, are pivotal pieces of legislation that CREW is proud to endorse. We urge Congress to pass these bills without delay.” “If we are to defend the rights of the people, then we must reform the judiciary, and restore accountability and integrity to the highest courts in our country. The Justice is BLIND Act , the Judicial Integrity Act , and the Judicial FOIA Expansion Act take important steps toward our goal of rebuilding our courts into a system that is faithful to our Constitution and in service to the people, not to billionaires and special interests,” said Courtney Hostetler, Legal Director, Free Speech For People. “These bills will bring more accountability and transparency to the federal judicial system. Something that is badly needed. We are proud to endorse them and urge Congress to pass them without delay,” said Tim Whitehouse, Executive Director, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). “For too long, legal loopholes have let Supreme Court Justices personally profit from their decisions, corrupting our courts and undermining the rule of law. We need systemic reform to restore faith in the Supreme Court, including a binding code of anti-corruption and ethics rules, term limits, expansion under the next pro-democracy president, and more. Judges must be held to the highest ethical standards, and Senator Schiff’s judicial integrity package offers a meaningful path in that direction to restore trust and curb corruption in our courts. We thank Senator Schiff for his leadership and urge his colleagues to advance these commonsense measures,” said Brett Edkins, Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, Stand Up America. “The judicial system does not work if the public doesn’t have faith in the impartial administration of justice. We commend Senator Schiff’s efforts to hold federal judges to common-sense standards that ensure court rulings are not tainted by even the appearance of financial or other conflicts of interest,” said David Janovsky, Acting Director, The Constitution Project at POGO. “This moment continues to highlight the urgent need to fortify the integrity of our courts with robust ethics reforms,” said Alliance for Justice President Rachel Rossi. “Judges are holding the line for democracy across the country, but that’s only possible when the courts maintain the highest standards of independence and integrity. Adding transparency to judges’ personal finances and to judicial processes ensures their impartiality and advances public trust as they interpret our laws and protect our rights.” “Protections for the air we breathe, the water we drink, and a free and fair democracy depend on public institutions that earn the people’s trust and are free from corruption. For too long, the nation’s highest court has operated with the lowest ethical standards, including shocking revelations about MAGA Justices ruling against environmental protections despite personal ties to the fossil fuel industry. LCV is proud to stand with Senator Schiff in his pursuit of bold legislation to reduce judicial conflicts of interest, increase judicial transparency, and ensure our courts work for the people, not just for Big Polluters and other powerful special interests,” said Doug Lindner, Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy, League of Conservation Voters. “Congress has clear authority to set ethics and transparency rules for the federal courts, and Senator Schiff’s package of reforms finally uses it. The judiciary currently writes its own ethics rules and decides for itself when they’ve been broken. The last few years have shown where that leads — undisclosed gifts, judges sitting on cases that touch their own finances, and no real consequences when the rules are ignored. These bills take the policing out of the courts’ own hands: blind trusts so judges can’t rule on holdings they have a stake in, an enforceable conflict-of-interest standard, and public access to how the courts handle complaints and discipline. The result is a judiciary that answers to the people, not to the benefactors and interests who appear before it,” said Alex Aronson, Executive Director, Court Accountability. A one-pager and endorsements can be found here. Full text of the Justice is BLIND Act can be found here . Full text of the Judicial Integrity Act can be found here. Full text of the Judicial FOIA Expansion Act can be found here . ###