Supreme Court Seeks $12 Million From Congress for Justices’ Security

• The Supreme Court requested millions more from Congress in security funding.
• The request comes after widespread protests and threats following the abortion leak.
• A leaked draft opinion last May showed the court was ready to overturn abortion rights.

The Supreme Court on Thursday requested more money from Congress to boost its security amid concerns about the justices’ safety after protests and threats erupted last year over the monumental abortion leak.

The nation’s highest court asked for roughly a $12 million increase to its security funding — $5.9 million to expand police protections for the justices and $6.5 million in “physical security upgrades” to “reinforce the building envelope,” according to a fiscal 2024 budget request released Thursday.

“On-going threat assessments show evolving risks that require continuous protection,” the budget request read. “Additional funding would provide for contract positions, eventually transitioning to full-time employees, that will augment capabilities of the Supreme Court police force and allow it to accomplish its protective mission.”

It’s the court’s first budget request following heightened concerns about the justices’ safety. The leak of a draft opinion last May that showed the Supreme Court was ready to overturn abortion rights triggered immense public outrage, resulting in protests outside of the court building and some of the justices’ homes. In early June, police arrested an armed man near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Maryland residence for threatening to kidnap or kill him. 

At the time, Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered the US Marshal Service, the agency responsible for protecting federal judges, to provide more security to the justices and their families. President Joe Biden also signed a bill into law to extend security protections to the justices’ families.

Additional fencing had also been erected outside of the Supreme Court building, though was later taken down as protests dwindled near the end of August. 

The court also launched a months-long internal investigation into the source of the leak, which concluded in January without finding the culprit. In the court’s report, former Department of Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff, who independently assessed the probe, recommended the court tighten its security, including by restricting the distribution of sensitive documents via hard copy, emails, and on outside mobile devices.

The Supreme Court asked for a total of $150 million for its fiscal 2024 budget, which also included a $585,000 request for new IT security positions in cybersecurity, software development and network engineering.