Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson refused Tuesday to weigh in on whether there should be more than nine justices on the high court, a move progressive activists have advocated for in recent years.
“My North Star is the consideration of the proper role of a judge in our constitutional scheme, and in my view, judges should not be speaking into political issues and certainly not a nominee for a position on the Supreme Court,” the nominee told the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The judge said she agreed with Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who refused to opine on the topic during her confirmation hearing in 2020.
Judge Jackson also batted down a notion that dark money groups have “bought” the high court.
“I don’t have any reason to believe that is the case,” she said, adding that she holds all members of the Supreme Court in high esteem.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have attempted to link judicial nominees to conservative or liberal advocacy groups supporting the nominee’s appointment on the bench.
SEE ALSO: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson cites originalism as judicial philosophy
Most recently the progressive group Demand Justice has come under scrutiny from Republicans for its support of Judge Jackson. The group has called for President Biden to pack the court with liberal justices in order to dilute its 6-3 conservative majority.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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