US Supreme Court Justices Are ‘Not Imperial,’ Kagan Says (2)

Congress has some powers over the US Supreme Court but lawmakers can’t do anything they want when it comes to regulating it, Justice Elena Kagan said.

In an appearance at the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, Kagan weighed in on the controversy fueled by reports of alleged ethics shortfalls by justices on both sides of the ideological divide, especially Clarence Thomas.

Kagan, at her appearance, responded to a question about Justice Samuel Alito’s comments that Congress has no authority to impose a binding ethics code on the court.

“It can’t do anything it wants,” Kagan said, ...