Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to use a lie detector to uncover who leaked an explosive draft opinion that suggests the judicial body could overturn federal abortion protections.
GOP lawmakers have for weeks demanded consequences for whoever was responsible for leaking the draft to Politico earlier this month.
Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the draft’s authenticity on May 3 and vowed to open an investigation into who committed the ‘betrayal of the confidences of the court.’
‘I think here are forensic ways to figure out – it’s a very small group of people. We’re not talking about hundreds of people. I think we might be talking about a dozen people that would be suspects in this,’ Paul told Fox & Friends.
‘And frankly, there are times when I think employment could ask for a lie detector test.’
He continued, ‘I’d bring in the 12 people and I would ask them all under oath and with a lie detector test: “Did you leak this document?” Because this shouldn’t happen.’
Paul denounced the protests outside conservative Supreme Court Justices’ homes that have sprung up in the wake of the leak, before turning his ire back to the leaker.
‘Liberal or conservative, we don’t want violence,’ the legislator said, adding: ‘But we also don’t want somebody working at the Supreme Court who is a liar and who is dishonest.’
He called for the leaker to be ‘barred from practicing law and face criminal charges, blasting the leak as a ‘serious offense.’
Pro-choice protesters have targeted the homes of justices including Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, and Samuel Alito to voice outrage over the court’s potential decision.
The White House was forced to respond to the demonstrations after growing pressure from Republican lawmakers.
‘[President Joe Biden] strongly believes in the Constitutional right to protest. But that should never include violence, threats, or vandalism,’ now former Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted early last week.
‘Judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety.’
No major incidents have been reported at any of the demonstrations outside justices’ homes.
But Paul on Thursday called for those activists to be arrested.
‘ I am as stalwart defender of the First Amendment as anyone, but disorderly conduct is not protected by the First Amendment. You have no right to chanting keep people awake all night in the neighborhood,’ the legislator claimed.
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