Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has declined an invitation from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin to testify at a hearing regarding "potential reforms" to the ethical rules that govern the Justices of the Supreme Court. In a letter to Durbin, Roberts cited his reluctance to participate due to the importance of preserving judicial independence as reasons why he would not testify before Congress. Roberts also included a statement of ethics principles and practices that all of the current members of the Supreme Court subscribe to.

The invitation to participate in the hearing comes amid recent reports on the acceptance of undisclosed gifts by Justice Clarence Thomas. Some Republicans have expressed concern that recent news reports aiming to scrutinize court ethics are efforts to discredit the Supreme Court at a time when conservative justices have a supermajority. Durbin, meanwhile, has referred to Thomas' undisclosed gifts as evidence that ethical standards and judicial codes of conduct for Supreme Court justices need reform. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is scheduled to take place on May 2nd.