Supreme Court Report Reveals Need for Improved Security Measures to Protect Confidential Information

The Supreme Court released a report Thursday detailing its investigation into the leak of a draft decision overturning abortion rights last year. The two-page statement and 20-page report from Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley outlined the thoroughness of the investigation, which included 126 formal interviews of 97 employees and various forensic analyses.

The report concluded that it was unlikely the Court’s information technology systems were improperly accessed by a person outside the Court. However, the investigation was unable to determine who leaked the draft decision.

The report has revealed shortfalls in the Supreme Court’s technology, protocols for confidentiality and overall institutional safeguards. This is likely to add to the public’s distrust of the justices and accelerate the partisan rancor surrounding the court.

The Supreme Court Marshal’s team determined that no further investigation was warranted with respect to many of the 82 employees who had access to electronic or hard copies of the draft opinion. The team also found that the Court’s IT systems had not been breached.

The Supreme Court’s report has highlighted the need for improved security measures to protect confidential information. The Court is now considering additional protocols and safeguards to ensure the security of its information. It is also exploring ways to improve its IT systems and to better protect confidential documents.