Investigation Requested into Justice Jackson’s Grammy Attendance

WASHINGTON — Senator Marsha Blackburn has formally requested Chief Justice John Roberts to investigate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson regarding her presence at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

Jackson, known for her love of theater, attended the event, reportedly due to her girlfriend being nominated for an award. Blackburn, who won a Grammy herself for narrating her memoir “Lovely One,” stirred up concerns about fairness by making a joke targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the politically charged ceremony.

Some critics have alleged that Jackson was applauding remarks made against ICE.

Blackburn (R-Tenn.) expressed in her letter to Roberts that while it’s not uncommon for Supreme Court justices to attend public gatherings, it’s quite rare for one to be at an event where such far-left sentiments are promoted.

As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Blackburn is questioning whether Jackson’s actions align with the Supreme Court’s Code of Conduct, which requires judges to act in a way that maintains public confidence in the judiciary’s integrity and impartiality.

The Supreme Court established its first-ever code of conduct in 2023 amid public scrutiny over gifts and travel involving some of the conservative justices.

Though all justices signed the new code, its impact appears limited.

Blackburn, particularly given the high-profile cases relating to President Trump that the court is currently addressing, including issues surrounding birthright citizenship, remarked that Jackson’s attendance raises doubts about her impartiality. Other critics have echoed similar sentiments.

At the Grammy event, attendees displayed “ICE Out” pins, while several winners made statements against ICE, including slogans like “No One Is Illegal on Stolen Land.”

In a related matter, Blackburn mentioned that Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) previously sent a letter to Roberts urging that Justice Samuel Alito recuse himself from cases linked to the Capitol riot due to a flag flown at his residence. Alito declined to step back. He also made headlines in 2022 for criticizing European leaders for their reactions to the overturning of the precedent set by Roe v. Wade.

With Blackburn campaigning for Tennessee’s governorship, she referenced pressure from the left against Justice Clarence Thomas concerning his connections with Republican donor Harlan Crowe.

Blackburn lamented the sustained smear campaigns by Congressional Democrats and certain media outlets against Republican-appointed justices, branding them as corrupt and violating court conduct codes. She emphasized that her inquiries into Jackson’s Grammy attendance are based on serious concerns, unlike the “unwarranted allegations” against Alito and Thomas.

While Jackson often aligns with her fellow liberal justices, she has crossed lines in specific cases. Notably, in a 2024 decision, she sided with five conservative justices, significantly limiting charges against Trump related to the Capitol riot.

Looking ahead, Jackson is set to make her Broadway debut in late 2024, participating in a queer reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

The Supreme Court has been asked for a comment, and the next oral arguments are scheduled for the last week of February.