Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion “should be investigated and punished as fully as possible.”
McConnell issued a statement after Politico reported on a leaked draft showing the court is expected to strike down Roe v. Wade.
“Last night’s stunning breach was an attack on the independence of the Supreme Court. By every indication, this was yet another escalation in the radical left’s ongoing campaign to bully and intimidate federal judges and substitute mob rule for the rule of law,” McConnell said.
He added, “The disgraceful statements by President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader Schumer refuse to defend judicial independence and the rule of law and instead play into this toxic spectacle. Real leaders should defend the Court’s independence unconditionally.”
McConnell argued the “lawless action should be investigated and punished as fully as possible.”
He continued, “The Chief Justice must get to the bottom of it and the Department of Justice must pursue criminal charges if applicable.”
The Senate minority leader encouraged all nine justices to “tune out the bad-faith noise and feel totally free to do their jobs, following the facts and the law where they lead.”
Read McConnell’s statement below:
Last night’s stunning breach was an attack on the independence of the Supreme Court. By every indication, this was yet another escalation in the radical left’s ongoing campaign to bully and intimidate federal judges and substitute mob rule for the rule of law. pic.twitter.com/wvigWvPqm7
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) May 3, 2022
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) made similar comments in a joint statement.
“Yesterday’s unprecedented leak is an attempt to severely damage the Supreme Court. This clearly coordinated campaign to intimidate and obstruct the Justices of the United States Supreme Court, and its independence in our political system, from upholding the Constitution must be immediately investigated by the court,” the lawmakers said.
They stressed House Republicans are “committed to upholding the sanctity of life, and we will continue to fight to be a voice for the truly voiceless. There is nothing more special, extraordinary, and worth fighting for than the miracle of life.”
Concluding their statement, they said, “We pray for the resolve of our Justices and for a decision that protects our most basic and precious right, the right to life.”
The leaked draft garnered strong reactions from others, including President Joe Biden, as IJR reported.
“My administration argued strongly before the Court in defense of Roe v. Wade…I believe that a woman’s right to choose is fundamental, Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned,” Biden said in a statement.
He said the administration “will be ready when any ruling is issued.”
