AG Alan Wilson joins multistate coalition of Attorneys General urging President Biden to reject court-packing scheme

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – April 22, 2021 - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general, led by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, that today wrote to President Joe Biden and congressional leaders to voice strong concerns, and opposition to, the recent steps towards packing the U.S. Supreme Court. Judicial independence is a core tenet of our judicial system and the bulwark upholding our rights and liberties. Recent actions by some members of Congress and President Biden threaten the independence of our federal judicial system and the rule of law.

Attorney General Wilson said, “Packing the Supreme Court for political purposes goes against one of the main principles of our republic—judicial independence. When Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt tried to pack the Supreme Court in 1937, the majority of the public was against it and even Supreme Court justices went public opposing it. Now, Justices Ginsburg and Breyer recently condemned this scheme to pack the Court as something that would undermine the Court, its stability, and its legitimacy.”

The letter signed by the multistate coalition of attorneys general describes the serious concerns held about Congress’ intent to pack the U.S. Supreme Court. After filing a bill to do just that days after the President announced the Executive Order to create a commission to investigate court packing, it is clear that President Biden and congressional leaders are part of a coordinated effort to grab political power, jeopardizing the integrity of our system of government.

The Framers of the Constitution created an independent judiciary, due to the judicial abuses experienced under King George III and to prevent the new federal government from repeating those abuses. The last similar attempt by President Roosevelt more than 80 years ago failed because of how it threatened our constitutional system.

The letter states, “Indeed, given the filing of the bill six days after the president announced his Executive Order regarding the Supreme Court, it is clear that the Commission on the Supreme Court is nothing but a coordinated attempt to justify a naked political power grab by the leaders of Congress and the president. We believe that such actions will seriously undermine our constitutional system, the public’s confidence in our courts, and the rule of law. We oppose passage of such a measure.”

To read the full letter, click here.

The letter was authored by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, and the attorneys general from the following states signed on: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.