U.S. Supreme Court cleared justices and spouses from leak probe

By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) – The chief security officer of the U.S. Supreme Court said Friday that she had spoken with each justice in the inquiry into who leaked a draft its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley gave the statement one day after the court published a 20-page report on the investigation that failed identify the leaker of the draft to Politico. The court did not clarify whether the nine members of the court who were involved in the leakage had been interviewed during the inquiry on Thursday.

Curley stated in the statement released by Curley that “During the course the investigation, I spoke to each of the justices,” he said. “The justices actively collaborated in this iterative, asking questions and answering theirs.”

According to the report, investigators interviewed 97 employees of the court.

Curley stated, “I followed-up on all credible lead, none of which implicated justices or spouses.”

According to her, it was not necessary for the justices of the peace to sign sworn affirmations confirming that they did indeed not leak the draft opinion. Court employees, however, were required to sign such affidavits.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond, Boston; Editing By Will Dunham).