Republicans target abuse in judicial system

By Megan R. Wilson - 03/15/13 12:17 PM ET

Two Republicans have put forward legislation that would create an independent overseer for the judicial system.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) want to create an Office of Inspector General (IG) to keep watch over judges and courts, much like the offices that oversee federal agencies.

“The current practice of self-regulation of judges with respect to ethics and the judicial code of conduct has time and time again proven inadequate,” Grassley said Thursday on the Senate floor. “This bill will help make sure that our federal judicial system remains free of corruption, bias, and hypocrisy,” he added, pointing out two instances of judicial impeachments in the last five years.

Grassley first introduced the Judicial Transparency and Ethics Enhancement Act in 2011, but it never reached the Senate floor for a vote, nor did it pick up any co-sponsors. Sensenbrenner’s companion House bill had the same fate in 2011.

“During the past fiscal year, Congress appropriated nearly $7 billion in taxpayer money to the federal judiciary. To put this in context, the National Science Foundation, the Small Business Administration, and the Corporation for National and Community Service each received a similar or less amount,” Grassley said.

“Yet all three of these entities have an Office of Inspector General. If we in Congress believed that these entities could use an inspector general, I cannot see why the judiciary wouldn't deserve the same assistance.”