The U.S. Supreme Court has failed to disclose an important financial relationship that it has with former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, CNN reports. 

According to the outlet, the relationship is "longstanding." And, Chertoff even played a key role in the court's recent investigation of the unprecedented leak of the draft decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. 

Chertoff has released a statement indicating that Chief Justice John Roberts asked him:

. . . to independently review and assess the thoroughness of the investigation into the Dobbs draft opinion leak and to identify any additional useful investigative measures as well as actions that would improve the handling of sensitive documents in the future.

Chertoff released this statement after Gail A. Curley – the marshal of the Supreme Court – released the findings of the nine-month-long investigation into the Dobbs leak.

Curley's investigation failed to discover the source of the leak. Curley's specific statement was that the investigation was "unable to identify a person responsible by a preponderance of the evidence.”

Chertoff, apparently, was asked to double-check Curley's work.

After the release of Curley's report, the Supreme Court released a statement indicating that, in Chertoff's opinion, Curley "undertook a thorough investigation." Chertoff, according to the court, also said that he "cannot identify any additional useful investigative measures."

One significant aspect of all of this is that Curley's report found that the Supreme Court had security vulnerabilities that may have made it easier for the Dobbs' decision to be leaked.

CNN's report indicates that Chertoff, in recent years, has been paid large sums of money by the Supreme Court for improving the court's police security and COVID-19 response.

But, according to CNN, the Supreme Court - by and large - has been keeping this relationship from the public, something the court is allowed to do because it is not subject to the same public disclosure requirements as other parts of the government.

The Supreme Court has released a statement that “the Court as a matter of policy does not discuss security measures.”

Now, many are wondering what, if anything, the court may be hiding.

Chertoff has long ties to other Republican-nominated members of the court, most notably, Chief Justice Roberts. Chertoff also has ties to the administrations of former President George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.

In 2009, Chertoff set up his own private risk assessment firm, called The Chertoff Group. It appears that this is the group that has been in the employ of the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years.