DOJ Launches Criminal Investigation Into Leak Of Supreme Court’s Roe Reversal

The US Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into who leaked a draft of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in *Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization*, which overturned the constitutional right to abortion established by *Roe v. Wade*. The inquiry is unusual because it involves a leak from the Supreme Court, and it comes after an earlier internal investigation failed to identify the source.

Prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas and sought information from court staff who were working at the time, according to people familiar with the matter. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro is overseeing the investigation, which has also involved prosecutor Carlton Davis; the possible charges and the implications for the separation of powers between the executive and judicial branches remain unclear. Justice Elena Kagan said in July that the Court had not closed its own inquiry, while Justice Samuel Alito said in October that he had an opinion about the leaker but lacked sufficient evidence to identify them.