Chief Justice John Roberts denounced the leak of a draft opinion published by Politico that indicated the court may overturn the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, calling its release a “betrayal of the confidences of the court” and saying he directed the marshal of the court to launch an investigation.

“This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the court and the community of public servants who work here,” he said in a statement Tuesday.