House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan has launched an investigation into the Judicial Conference's Committee on Codes Conduct draft advisory opinion that, if approved, will ban federal judges from being members of the either the left-wing American Constitution Society (ACS) or the right-leaning Federalist Society while allowing them to remain part of the American Bar Association.
“The draft advisory opinion discriminates against the viewpoints of members of the judiciary who chose to associate with the Federalist Society,” the Ohio Republican wrote in a letter to the Office of the General Counsel for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, reports Fox News.
Established in 1922, the Judicial Conference of the U.S. makes policy over the administration of federal courts.
In the letter, Jordan notes that more than 200 federal judges and almost 30 Congress members have said they are concerned by the move.
Membership in both groups had been allowed before, Jordan noted, but would be prohibited under the new rule, while judges could still belong to other groups, like the American Bar Association.
The committee says membership in the partisan groups could lead to questions about a judge's partiality when it comes to issues where the groups have stated positions.
The Federalist Society has been said to have more power than the ACS, as co-chairman Leonard Leo has a close relationship with President Donald Trump. However, Jordan said the Bar Association, despite claiming to be apolitical, is actually more active politically than the conservative group, as it openly advocates for liberal causes and engages in controversies before federal courts.
Jordan also wants the Office of the General Counsel to reveal if the draft advisory opinion was unanimously approved, and to obtain information about whether any members belong to any of the three groups under discussion.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.