Chief Justice John Roberts Responds to Leak of Draft Abortion Opinion, Launches Investigation

“To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed,” Roberts wrote

Chief Justice John Roberts
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 01: Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is seen prior to President Biden giving his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 01, 2022 in Washington, DC. During his first State of the Union address, Biden spoke on his administration’s efforts to lead a global response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, work to curb inflation, and bring the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Julia Nikhinson-Pool/Getty Images)

Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday responded to the leak of a Roe vs. Wade overturning draft decision on a case from Mississippi that had been circulating at the U.S. Supreme Court as the court confirmed its authenticity while underscoring that the first draft from February does “not represent a decision.”

Roberts also announced that the Marshal of the Court would conduct an investigation into the source of the leak — which he called a “singular and egregious breach” of the trust placed in Court employees.

Politico published the leaked document Monday, sparking immediate and intense backlash of two kinds: foremostly against the possibility that abortion rights are on the brink of dissolution in the United States, but also against the fact that a highly sensitive Supreme Court document would find the light of day.

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