Headline
Senate Democrats' Latest Report Points to 'Ethical Dilemma' for Supreme Court Judges
The Supreme Court is grappling with an "integrity issue" as judges have neglected to disclose presents and acknowledge potential conflicts of interest in instances they rule on, as per a report unveiled on Saturday by the Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee, accompanied by a wave of criticism in recent years following the exposure of alleged misconduct.
Highlights
The report, culminating a 20-month probe, points out alleged unethical conduct and censures Justices Clarence Thomas and his spouse Ginni Thomas, Justice Samuel Alito, and the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
Thomas has accepted millions of dollars in gifts since his entrance into the court in 1991, including several outings as a guest of billionaire Harlan Crow in 2019 and two undisclosed trips Crow bestowed upon Thomas and his spouse in New York in 2021, including one aboard a yacht, the report alleges.
Thomas has been on the receiving end of donations in quantities "unmatched in modern American history," the report contends.
The committee lambasted Clarence Thomas and Ginni Thomas for flying flags outside their residence connected with the “Stop The Steal” movement, mentioning Thomas had conflicts of interest in instances concerning Jan. 6 and the 2020 presidential election, and neglecting to recuse himself.
The report claims Alito flouted federal regulations by failing to disclose an exclusive flight and lodging expenses for a fishing trip to Alaska in 2008, sponsored by hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer.
Scalia, who departed in 2016, accepted more gifts than any other justice and neglected to accurately disclose them, the report claims, including at least 258 outings bankrolled by Republican donors.
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Significant Quote
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the committee chair, stated in a statement that the Supreme Court is "immersed in an integrity issue of its own creation," further noting, "It’s apparent that the justices are forfeiting the trust of the American people due to the influence of a gaggle of sycophantic billionaires."
Main Detractor
Mark Paoletta, a lawyer who is a close friend of Thomas, his spouse, and a former member of President-elect Donald Trump’s initial administration, denounced the report as trying to "undermine the Supreme Court" because the judicial body no longer endorsed opinions that "advanced the Democrats’ political agenda." Paoletta also pointed out that Thomas and Alito had "ADHERED" to the regulations and guidelines necessary for them as justices.
Key Context
The Supreme Court has been under fire for potential ethics lapses for years, though the debate was reignited last year after ProPublica revealed Thomas had accepted several vacations from Crow. A Senate investigation later discovered another affluent donor had essentially financed or purchased outright a $267,000 RV for Thomas, whose spouse had business ties before the court. Other reports have criticized Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was alleged to have relied on a law firm executive to purchase his Colorado residence, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was accused of pushing libraries to purchase copies of her book using staffers whose salaries were taxpayer-funded. Democratic lawmakers pushed the Supreme Court to approve an ethics code in 2023, as lower federal courts have similar rules, though the initiative was vetoed in the Senate. The Supreme Court declared in November 2023 it would adopt an ethics code for its justices, however it noted the rules and principles are, “for the most part,” not novel and have the "equivalent of common law ethics rules."
Justice Samuel Alito was accused of not disclosing exclusive flight and lodging expenses for a fishing trip to Alaska in 2008, sponsored by hedge fund billionaire Paul Sotomayor, on the other hand, has been criticized for pushing libraries to purchase copies of her book using staffers whose salaries were taxpayer-funded. Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's actions have been under scrutiny, despite the court declaring in November 2023 that it would adopt an ethics code for its justices, which includes principles similar to common law ethics rules.
