Chief Justice John Roberts and two other U.S. Supreme Court justices issued unusual statements Wednesday over what is for many Americans a common refrain — whether their coworkers should wear a mask amid the Covid surge.
Following reports of friction inside the court over the issue, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch jointly said she didn’t ask him to wear a mask during arguments. Sotomayor, 67, who has type 1 diabetes, has been taking part in arguments remotely, while Gorsuch is the only justice who isn’t wearing a mask on the bench.
A few hours later, Roberts issued his own statement saying, “I did not request Justice Gorsuch or any other justice to wear a mask on the bench.”
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Fox News early Wednesday said it debunked the claim from the more liberal NPR, citing its own sources and a former Gorsuch law clerk as saying neither Roberts nor Sotomayor had asked colleagues to wear masks.
“Fact Check: 100% False. The Chief never asked his colleagues to mask up, for any reason,” tweeted Mike Davis, a former Gorsuch law clerk.
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