By Lawrence Hurley -
NBC News
The Supreme Court reported this Thursday that it has been unable to identify the person who leaked the draft of a judicial ruling indicating that the highest court was willing to end the constitutional protection of the right to abortion (as was actually the case for months after).
In an unsigned statement, the court said it had followed up on all leads and conducted forensic analysis, but "has been unable to date to identify a responsible person."
The United States was rocked in May 2022 when the Politico news website published a draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that the court, which has a conservative majority, was about to overturn the landmark Roe v.
Wade that enshrined the protection of the right to abortion
.
The right to abortion and the legalization of marijuana are among the ballot proposals
Nov 9, 202201:37
Traditionally, the inner workings of the court are shrouded in secrecy, and it is very rare for any hint of internal deliberations to leak out before a judgment is delivered.
A day later, Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the draft was authentic and said he was going to announce an investigation into the leak.
"To the extent that this betrayal of the court's confidences was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed," Roberts said, calling the leak a "single and egregious breach" that was "an affront to the court."
The Politico report sparked abortion rights protests, prompting the court to erect a security fence around the building.
In the months that followed, protests broke out at the homes of some judges, and a man was charged with attempted murder after he was arrested near the home of Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh in possession of a gun.
Three states approve to modify their constitutions to guarantee the right to abortion
Nov 9, 202201:28
The following month, the court effectively struck down Roe in a 5-4 vote, but in the months since there has been no official update on the status of the investigation.
The leak, in addition to the reaction to the abortion ruling, has increased scrutiny over the internal workings of the Court.
Liberal justices have suggested that the Court risks undermining its legitimacy by abruptly undoing decades of precedent.