Jan. 19 (UPI) — The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday said its investigation has not been able to uncover the person or people responsible for leaking its landmark opinion rolling back abortion rights.
The investigation was headed up by Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley, “but the team has to date been unable to identify a person responsible by a preponderance of the evidence,” the court said in a written statement Thursday.
“The investigation has determined that it is unlikely that the Court’s information technology systems were improperly accessed by a person outside the Court. After examining the Court’s computer devices, networks, printers, and available call and text logs, investigators have found no forensic evidence indicating who disclosed the draft opinion,” Curley concluded in her report.
Thursday’s announcement does say “investigators continue to review and process some electronic data that has been collected and a few other inquiries remain pending.”
“The Marshal and her team will continue to have our full support.”
Curley and her staff conducted 126 interviews with 97 court employees. Her report does not say if the justices were among those interviewed.
Investigators asked employees to sign an affidavit that they were not involved in the leak. Lying would open them up to criminal prosecution.
The investigation was reviewed by independent attorney Michael Chertoff, who served as the Secretary of Homeland Security under George W. Bush.
“My review assessed that the Marshal and her experienced investigators undertook a thorough investigation within their legal authorities, and while there is not sufficient evidence at present for prosecution or other legal action, there were important insights gleaned from the investigation that can be acted upon to avoid future incidents,” Chertoff wrote.
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch in September, hinted that the report was close to being finished.
In May, the court confirmed that a leaked draft opinion penned by Justice Samuel Alito, was indeed accurate.
That led Chief Justice John Roberts to call for the investigation, and in September, publicly defend the legitimacy of the Supreme Court.
In June, the court formally released its decision, overturning the 1973 Roe vs. Wade opinion and effectively eliminating a federally protected right to abortion procedures.
