Former Army Col. Gail Curley to investigate Supreme Court leak

The person tasked with investigating the unprecedented leak earlier this month of the Supreme Court's draft opinion indicating the court may soon overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling is Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley.

Curley, a former Army colonel, has been the marshal post for less than a year. Her primary tasks generally include overseeing the court's police force and operations of the Supreme Court building, as well as reciting a few lines aloud when the court's nine justices walk into the courtroom.

But now, Curley, 53, will be overseeing the leak, which suggests the court is poised to rule of case that will effectively reverse the Roe decision that for decades has given women the constitutional right to seek an abortion.

The official decision is expected sometime in the next several weeks.

An Associated Press report describes Curley as "smart, private, apolitical and unlikely to be intimidated," based upon interviews with those who have known and worked with her in the past.

Experts say the leak likely not a crime. The AP reports that it is unclear if Curley has the power to issue subpoenas for material from journalists or the people in the court with access to a draft opinion. 

Curley, however, has a military history of overseeing multiple criminal and administrative investigations at a time, and supervised teams of attorneys and paralegals.

She was the chief of the National Security Law Division in the Office of the Judge Advocate General and has been described as an expert on international law. Throughout her career she also has overseen cases ranging from criminal issues to contract ones. 

The Supreme Court marshal began her military career at West Point, where she graduated in 1991, when less than 10% of the class were women.