A draft Supreme Court opinion published by Politico on Monday suggested the court is considering a decision that would overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. The highly unusual leak of a draft opinion, which USA TODAY could not independently verify, set off a firestorm around one of the nation's most divisive culture war issues and simultaneously raised questions about the court's ability to keep its deliberations secret. "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," Associate Justice Samuel Alito writes in the draft obtained by Politico. "We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled." Though Supreme Court deliberations have leaked before, including during President Richard Nixon's administration, the release of a draft opinion from the closely guarded high court was unprecedented in modern times. Politico said the draft was circulated in February, about two months after oral argument in the blockbuster case. The justices are considering a direct challenge to Roe from Mississippi, which passed a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Click the link in our bio for more information.