Yet according to this very press release, we’ve only misunderstood that them receiving millions of dollars in gifts is an ethical issue. I’m guessing the bribery-as-usual will continue with no material change.
I’d be shocked to see any justice ever claim their impartiality may be questioned. They’ve already received millions and made the same claim.
Oh, I’d be shocked if any Justice is disciplined for anything short of an explicit quid pro quo.
I should note that a justice should recuse themselves if “the Justice’s spouse[…] has a financial or any other interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of a proceeding.” I am mixing 2 rules here, as one rule explicitly defines “financial or any other” whereas the rule I’m looking at merely says “interest”, indicating it needn’t be financial.
So, Ginny.
The new code of ethics doesn’t include any means of investigating any potential violations or how ethics lapses might be enforced. It will still be business as usual IMO. They won’t give up the grift if there is no means of enforcement.
Yep, this is the judge version of “we investigated ourselves and found no wrongdoing.”
In case you didn’t already find the Thomas payments problematic: Back in 2000, he was broke, told a Republican congressman that if the SCOTUS didn’t receive a pay raise that some members of the court would leave. Then the big bucks started flowing in.
Can we just call them what they are…bribes.
As we agreed, it is worth a lot to Americans to have the constitution properly interpreted. We must have the proper incentives here, too
His importance as a conservative was paramount. We wanted to make sure he felt comfortable in his job and he was being paid properly.
Thomas, who was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt at the time, said that “one or more justices will leave soon” if that action was not taken, ProPublica reported.
Are we sure we’d want someone who can be so easily financially manipulated to be in any position of public trust, let alone SCOTUS?
Thomas has zero integrity.
This is the problem with having government positions that pay so much less than their private sector counterparts.
The counterargument being that public servants, at least those in positions of such power, would ideally not be in the business for the profit.
Everybody needs money, but there’s a reason we don’t pay the President $200M/year. Not that a former President will ever want for money.
Yeah, I don’t know what the right answer is. We settle for being ruled by the independently wealthy or people highly susceptible to accepting bribes under the current system.
Easy, you accept the bribe you get fired and excluded from all future public service.
You make the bribe. 20 years in prison.
Proving it’s an illegal bribe is not the same thing as using common sense to decide that it’s likely a bribe. I’m not sure how much that will solve.
Oh sure the devil is in the details. But the ethics rules and laws right now both seem woefully inadequate and need some serious tightening with some serious teeth behind them.
The real solution for SCOTUS would be an independent ethics board.
Perhaps with the power to force a judge to be recused from a case, as well as some way to bring them up for “impeachment” or however else they can be removed.
Thomas is deciding a case about reproductive rights? Probably no issue unless there were bribes in that arena. (Obviously he’s taken bribes from conservative donors but something needs connected to be proven.)
Thomas deciding a case about January 6? Absolutely not.
I’d be fine with SCOTUS having a process where they may be required to formally state why they are not beholden to an outside interest, such as Ginny, for a particular case.
Oh there are a ton of reforms that would make things “better”. I’m not sure anything would ever make it perfect but better is still better.
And if you have reporting stuff, I get it sometimes you miss things in your filing. But there need to be the same 3 strikes and your out rule for Judges that they want for criminal. Forget to report that you friend loaned you $200K for motorhome and later forgave the remaining debt? That’s one strike, forget to report you got a bunch of fancy trips and charter flights? That’s strike two. Forget to mention your buddy bought a house for your mom? Strike three your out. Fired, no pensions, no benefits. Find another grift.
[nit-pick]
You mean there are legal bribes?
[/n-p]
Of course there are legal bribes. Donating to the Clinton Foundation or whatever “charitable” foundation the person runs, sponsoring some event or activity of the bribee’s kid (think: buying 10,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies such that the girl “earns” two weeks at horse camp, or sponsoring the kid’s softball team such that it’s free, including travel for all the kids and the coaches (including the person you’re bribing) can afford to fly first class and stay in deluxe hotel suites using team funds), hiring the person’s spouse as a consultant at a very generous rate of pay… you just have to be creative.
Then this Supreme Court can be described as artists.