Politico: Supreme Court abortion draft still the only one being circulated

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 11, 2022 / 06:33 am (CNA).

The draft opinion leaked to the press that would overturn Roe v. Wade is still the only one being circulated among Supreme Court justices, whose votes in a pivotal abortion case remain unchanged, Politico reported Wednesday.

Politico is the same news outlet that first published the draft, written by conservative associate justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., on May 2.

In its latest report, Politico said it has learned that “none of the conservative justices who initially sided with Alito have to date switched their votes.”

The case in question, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, centers on Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, a direct challenge to Roe.

After Politico first published the draft opinion, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. ordered an investigation into the source of the lea, which he called an “egregious breach of trust” and an “affront” to the court.

The Supreme Court also said in a statement that while the draft is authentic, “it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.”

News of the draft opinion has triggered a wave of protests by advocates of legalized abortion, as well as acts of violence and other provocations against Catholic churches and pro-life organizations.