WASHINGTON — Abortion supporters sought to intimidate and pressure the justices in leaking a draft majority opinion indicating that the Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, pro-life advocates say.
POLITICO broke the news Monday that the Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark decision, reporting that Justice Samuel Alito had written a draft that is an “unflinching repudiation” of Roe v. Wade.
“The leak appears to be totally political in nature, not only intended to damage the Court and pressure the justices, but more immediately to incite Democrats to push their laundry list of terrible anti-life ideas, including blowing up the filibuster and attempting to codify abortion violence at the federal level prior to the November elections,” Katie Glenn, Government Affairs Counsel at Americans United for Life (AUL), told The Daily Wire.
The draft majority opinion, which is not final, says Roe v. Wade was egregiously wrong. “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Alito wrote. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”
Judicial Crisis Network President Carrie Severino stressed that the leak poses a serious threat to the institutional integrity of the Court. “That type of leak is an outrageous betrayal of trust,” she told The Daily Wire.
“The Supreme Court is the only institution in town that doesn’t leak, and to do this is a real attack on the institution of the court. Not to mention just an outrageous breach of trust to the justices to do so,” she said.
AUL’s chief legal officer and general counsel, Steven Aden, also called it “outrageous” that the draft language was leaked, “presumably by pro-abortion staffers within the Court.”
“It is a cynical and naked attempt to pressure justices to alter course in Dobbs and to perpetuate abortion violence,” he said. “The Court should maintain the moral high ground, stick to the clear and courageous language this draft opinion, and not allow itself to be ruled by the expectations of pro-abortion activists or proxy media allies.”
The leak has sent shockwaves throughout Washington, with many noting that the leaks at the Supreme Court are rare, and even more rare that they would be of this caliber.
It’s impossible to overstate the earthquake this will cause inside the Court, in terms of the destruction of trust among the Justices and staff. This leak is the gravest, most unforgivable sin.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) May 3, 2022
In a joint statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said overturning Roe v. Wade would be “one of the worst and most damaging decisions in modern history.” They also accused unnamed conservative justices of lying to the U.S. Senate and ripping up the Constitution.
SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, however, told The Daily Wire that if the draft ends up being the final court opinion, they applaud the decision wholeheartedly.
“The American people have the right to act through their elected officials to debate and enact laws that protect unborn children and honor women,” she said. “If Roe is indeed overturned, our job will be to build consensus for the strongest protections possible for unborn children and women in every legislature.”
“We also recognize the need for the pro-life movement to continue its existing work to support pregnant women and children in need. There are thousands of pro-life pregnancy centers and maternity homes nationwide and an ever-growing pro-life safety net. The pro-life movement will continue to grow to meet the needs of these women and their families, walking and planning with them to love and serve both mother and child,” she said.