Roberts sidesteps Supreme Court’s ethics controversies in yearly report

Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. in his 2019 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary chose not to address the ethical controversies that have beset some of the highest court’s judges this year. Roberts generally issues the report at the end of the year to look back on the court’s decisions and any major developments that occurred over the past year. Instead of addressing the issues related to Supreme Court judges, he noted the passing of two Supreme Court justices, the retirement of three other judiciary officials, and the addition of one. He also noted that the number of pending cases before the court had decreased. He concluded his report by emphasizing the “unique role” the federal judiciary played and “remind[ing] every judge to refrain from partisan politics and to avoid public comment on political issues.”