Likely 45 People Could Have Leaked the Bombshell Supreme Court Abortion Decision

Now that Politico has leaked the bombshell document showing the Supreme Court of the United States has the votes to overturn Roe v. Wade, attention has shifted to the mystery judicial insider who likely leaked such an explosive decision.

“No draft decision in the modern history of the court has been disclosed publicly while a case was still pending,” Politico noted in its report. “The unprecedented revelation is bound to intensify the debate over what was already the most controversial case on the docket this term.”

Exactly how the outlet obtained such sensitive material remains to be seen (if such information will ever be known), but based on the current makeup of the Supreme Court and how decisions get handed down, the leak likely came from either one of the nine justices or one of the four clerks working under each of them – 45 people in total.

The unprecedented nature of the event led to serious speculation on social media, as judicial watchers fretted over how this could cause a rift between the nine justices.

It’s impossible to overstate the earthquake this will cause inside the Court, in terms of the destruction of trust among the Justices and staff. This leak is the gravest, most unforgivable sin.

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) May 3, 2022

Whatever the facts turn out to be, the leak is a horrendous precedent. Twitter is going to get crazy stupid now. https://t.co/hj4BndCYis

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) May 3, 2022

Early drafts don’t always match final opinions, but this leak is an enormous ethical breach and whoever is responsible should be found and face serious professional consequences. https://t.co/kxp2aTPh6B

— AG (@AGHamilton29) May 3, 2022

Has to be a Sotomayor clerk, right? Woke, hyper-political, contemptuous of American institutions. The harm the leak does to the Court is just icing on the cake.

— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) May 3, 2022

Incredible to see a SCOTUS opinion leaked — presumably in order to somehow effect or alter the correct opinion stated here by Alito: Roe, like Plessy, was egregiously wrong and must be overturned. https://t.co/iluLWYbfBA

— Chad Pecknold (@ccpecknold) May 3, 2022

Is a brave clerk taking this unpredecented step of leaking a draft opinion to warn the country what's coming in a last-ditch Hail Mary attempt to see if the public response might cause the Court to reconsider?

— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) May 3, 2022

The alleged leak of the opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is nothing short of breathtaking. It would constitute one of the greatest breaches of security in the history of the Court.

— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 3, 2022

Moments after Politico published the leak, barricades were erected around the Supreme Court:

Right now: Barricades are up around the Supreme Court building, just minutes after reports from Politico were leaked indicating SCOTUS has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. pic.twitter.com/LxR9rbs6TF

— Cami Mondeaux (@cami_mondeaux) May 3, 2022