Gov. Greg Abbott calls for SCOTUS to issue Roe v. Wade decision this week

Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to issue its decision on Roe v. Wade this week after a draft opinion suggesting the high court is poised on overturning the landmark ruling was leaked Monday night. The Supreme Court confirmed Tuesday that the draft opinion is authentic but not final.

In contrast to other Texas leaders weighing in on the opinion shortly after it was revealed, the Republican governor who has made anti-abortion measures a priority in the Lone Star State, has not issued a formal statement about the draft. However, during a Tuesday appearance on the conservative radio talk show The Rick Roberts Show, Abbott denounced the leak as an attempt to “hijack the decision process” in order to “intimidate the justices on the U.S. Supreme Court either to not agree with that draft or to abandon that draft.”

Abbott also suggested someone working at the U.S. Supreme Court, which he says could have been a staffer or a clerk, was behind the leak. “This is an extraordinary action by somebody who is clearly acting in a way that is in violation of the law and certainly should be disbarred for it,” Abbott said. 

For that reason, the Republican leader said he believes the court should respond by issuing the majority opinion this week, “to show that the U.S. Supreme Court will not be intimidated by this attempt to hijack by whoever released this draft opinion.” Abbott added that dissenting opinions can still be issued weeks or months after a majority opinion. 

Among other critics of the leak was Chief Justice John G. Roberts who called for an investigation Tuesday, stating “To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed. The work of the Court will not be affected in any way.”

Sen. Ted Cruz during an appearance on Fox News likewise called for an investigation and said those responsible should serve “real jail time.” Cruz called the leak “the most grotesque politicization of the Supreme Court we have seen in the history of our nation,” and made unproven claims that the person behind it was “some left-wing, presumably law clerk.”

If the court follows through and overturns Roe v. Wade, Texas and 11 other states have passed measures that would automatically outlaw abortion. Abbott signed the state’s “trigger law” last June, which would make it a felony to perform the procedure. Prior to that, Abbott signed Senate Bill 8 last May, which bans abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy.