Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch said the internal investigation into the unprecedented leak of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade should be coming to a close and that he anticipates a report “soon.”
Last May, a draft majority opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was leaked to Politico. It indicated that the high court was set to overturn a nearly 50 year precedent on abortion.
“The chief justice appointed an internal committee to oversee the investigation,” Gorsuch said in a speech at the 10th Circuit Bench and Bar Conference in Colorado last Thursday, according to The Wall Street Journal. “That committee has been busy and we’re looking forward to their report, I hope soon.”
Gorsuch spoke to the audience about the importance of finding the perpetrator.
He lamented the way the leak has inhibited the jurists ability to discuss their differing opinions confidentially before refining them for the public.
“I very much hope we get to the bottom of this sooner or later,” he added.
While the draft wasn’t official at the time it was leaked, the court did end up releasing it with minor edits in June. Gorsuch indicated he thought the leak was intended to disrupt the judicial process.
“Improper efforts to influence judicial decision making, from whatever side, are a threat,” he said
Chief Justice John Roberts ordered an investigation into who leaked the opinion in May. However, very few updates have been released on its progress.
Although Gorsuch hopes the final report on the investigation will come soon, he did not indicate if the report will be made public. No other Supreme Court justice has commented on the subject.