Justice Department probes Supreme Court leak
The gist
The Justice Department opened a criminal probe into the 2022 leak of the Dobbs draft, issuing subpoenas.
The leak preceded the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade; no one has been charged.
How it unfolded
- May 2022Politico published a draft of the Dobbs opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, before the court issued its official ruling the following month.
- 2022Chief Justice John Roberts ordered an internal investigation, calling the leak an "egregious breach of trust."
- Jan 2023The Supreme Court's internal investigation ended without identifying who provided the draft; investigators interviewed 97 staff members and clerks.
Key terms
- grand jury subpoenas
- The legal authority to issue a writ compelling a witness to testify or produce evidence under penalty of punishment.
- Roe v. Wade
- A 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that the Constitution protected a pregnant woman's right to choose abortion before fetal viability.
- Chief Justice
- The chief judge of the U.S. Supreme Court and highest-ranking officer of the federal judiciary.
Source: Wikipedia