Sonia Sotomayor announced this afternoon that she would resign from the networking club known as the Belizean Grove, just more than a week after Judiciary Republicans questioned whether her membership in the all-female organization was a violation of judicial ethics.
In a letter to Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and ranking member Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Sotomayor insisted that "the Belizean Grove does not practice invidious discrimination and my membership did not violate the Judicial Code of Ethics." But, she added, "I do not want questions about this to distract anyone from my qualifications and record."
Canon 2 of the Judicial Code of Ethics forbids judges from "membership in any organization that practices invidious discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, or national origin."
Also this afternoon, Sotomayor released further documents related to her work with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, in response to a joint request sent yesterday by both Leahy and Sessions.
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