Former President Donald Trump called for the arrest of a reporter and publisher who published an unprecedented leak of a draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court is preparing to overturn a landmark ruling. Roe v. Wade A decision that legalized abortion.
Trump’s comments, which seem like obvious hyperbole given the First Amendment, failed to identify the person or persons responsible for the leak after the Supreme Court announced its investigation into the matter, and he’s essentially shrugging his shoulders.
A report released by the US Supreme Court Martial on Thursday said the investigative team failed to “identify by a preponderance of the evidence the individual responsible” for leaking the draft opinion.
BREAKING: Supreme Court announces probe into Dobbs opinion leak. The court “cannot identify the person responsible by a preponderance of the evidence.” pic.twitter.com/AgVbwOIvXu
— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) January 19, 2023
Trump called for tougher measures, citing the importance of identifying the person who leaked the draft opinion.
“Arrest the reporter, the publisher, the editor – you’ll get your answer quickly. Stop playing games and stop wasting time!” Trump demanded.
RELATED: DHS Investigating Supreme Court ‘Burn Down’ Threats To Kill Justices If Roe v. Wade Overturned
Supreme Court Draft Opinion Leaked by Politico
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Politico reported in May that “Supreme Court Votes to Strike Landmark Roe v. Wade The outlet cited the decision as “an initial draft of the majority opinion” written by Justice Samuel Alito.
Reporters Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward acknowledge the stunning breach of Supreme Court secrecy and confidentiality in their reporting.
“No draft decision in the court’s modern history has been publicly disclosed while it is still pending,” he wrote.
Analysts at the time pointed to the unprecedented failure to secure the court’s process as an intimidation tactic, “an attempt to pressure a Supreme Court justice to change his or her vote in an important case.”
Now: Barricades are up around the Supreme Court building, minutes after Politico reports leaked indicating SCOTUS voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. pic.twitter.com/LxR9rbs6TF
— Cami Mondeaux (@cami_mondeaux) May 3, 2022
Because the court has been unable to identify the leaker, former President Trump is directing officials to go after known entities that made the opinion public.
“They’ll never find out, and it’s important that they do,” Trump told his followers on social media.
“So, go to the reporter and ask him/her who it is. If they don’t answer, put someone in jail until they get an answer,” he demanded. “You can add publishers and editors to the list.”
“Stop playing games, this leak cannot be allowed to happen. It doesn’t take long for this slime’s name to be revealed! “
Obviously, such actions are highly unconstitutional.
RELATED: Justice Alito’s Opinion Doesn’t Just Overturn Roe v. Wade, It Shatters It To Pieces
Put the lives of conservative justices at risk
You may recall the seriousness of the Supreme Court draft opinion leak Roe v. Wade. It literally put the lives of conservative justices at risk.
Guys, they gave up on finding the Supreme Court leaker. Unbelievable.
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 19, 2023
Shortly after Politico reported the leak, a Department of Homeland Security memo showed the government faced significant threats against Supreme Court justices.
“Law enforcement agencies are investigating social-media threats to burn or attack the Supreme Court building and kill justices and their clerks, as well as attacks targeting places of worship and abortion clinics,” the Axios report noted.
🚨 🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Law enforcement agencies are investigating social-media threats to burn down or attack the Supreme Court building and kill justices and their clerks, as well as targeting places of worship and abortion clinics. https://t.co/gI9RvHjy1p
— Jim VandeHei (@JimVandeHei) May 18, 2022
The leaked opinion led to online threats against several justices, including the publication of maps to their family homes, and culminated in assassination attempts against Brett Kavanagh and at least two others.
Constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley described the court’s inability to identify the person who leaked the draft opinion as “chilling”.
“The Supreme Court report indicates that the culprit cannot be singled out among more than 80 suspects. Dobbs Leak,” Turley tweeted. “It’s as chilling an admission as a leak.”
…In this age of wrath, this danger grows. Someone thought they had a license to leak. Others may feel they are free to do so. https://t.co/2rggctrUQm
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) January 19, 2023
Senator Ted Cruz agreed, calling the news “deeply troubling.”
“The Supreme Court willfully relies on trust and this leak is incredibly damaging to the court’s ability to function normally.” He tweeted. “The leaker must be brought to justice!”
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