This report confirms my growing concern about the Supreme Court’s unchecked ethical issues. It’s unsettling to see Justices Thomas and Alito involved in clear violations, while Chief Justice Roberts refuses to take responsibility. From my perspective as someone watching these developments through a German lens, the lack of enforceable ethical standards is astonishing for a democracy. The call for reforms like the *Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act* seems necessary, but based on the article, I question whether the political will exists to make this happen. It leaves me wondering if public pressure and investigative reporting are the only reliable tools left to hold such powerful institutions accountable.
There's a nice guarded driveway to that Great Camp of Crow's that one passes on the hike to St. Regis mountain. It would be a shame if there were plenty of protesters and a satellite truck or two there sometime.
Edit: meant to write *gated* driveway, but it's probably well guarded also.
We all know there will be no guardrails on these fuckers. They'll continue to get away with what they're doing or be replaced by other awful judges. Who's going to stop them? Certainly not this incoming administration of thugs!
Why didn’t Durban release this on a weekday when there was not much other news going on? It will get very little attention now when Congressional and political reporters are covering the government funding drama.
There was recently a report that a lower court judge had an ethical charge held against him for criticizing Alito appropriately. He formally apologized, which along with such things as recusal, is an option to satisfactorily address such violations.
A binding ethics code, like Kagan and Jackson (and I assume Sotomayor? she at least joined the liberals in explaining why they do not take part in a case, citing an ethical rule in each situation) has accepted, is the minimum warranted. Thomas at the very least, as AOC declared, should be impeached. He has blatantly violated good behavior rules. The constitutional test.
The report helps put the information out there but it is of course of limited value akin to Durbin's constant overwrought comments and requests for Roberts to do something. Roberts has a lot to answer for. But, I expected Senate Democrats to be more active as well. They had the majority and could have had more hearings, subpoenaed more witnesses, and so on.
The limited ability of Democrats to address SCOTUS -- including things like Dobbs -- to shows the need to go full bore in the ways they could like ending blue slips. If Republicans can't even support ethics, why in the hell should they get to block around 30 district judges?!
I skimmed the report. The portion on constitutional matters is brief. A more extended discussion on "good behavior" and congressional power to pass ethics legislation would have been helpful.
John Roberts, Samuel Alito and Clarence should resign in absolute shame. Given their collective acts of corruption and arrogance, there can Be no respect for their misguided legal opinions (ergo: Citizens United, Dobbs and Trump vs US on presidential immunity). The corrupt majority needs to be brought down and the memory of Scalia must be clarified as completely shameful.
Just like Durbin to wait until the last moment of his majority, letting the opportunity for action against the SCOTUS miscreants slip away. He's been the worst Judiciary chairman in my memory, and I recall Biden et al.
I think I caught a misspelling of the word 'plane' as 'plan': "After significant back and forth, for example, Crow eventually provided information about the times — only for the past seven years — when Thomas or a family member was “a passenger on a yacht or plan owned"
The Senate takes 20 months to state the obvious. But a SCOTUS transparency act will never pass both houses, nor ever survive a veto by Trump, master of shadows and obtuseness.
Thank you for posting this. Although the public is quite aware of the misconduct of SCOTUS, seeing the findings of the investigation is at least a small offering of information.
No one cares aside form powerless progressives and academics. Move on. We need a new resistance system - work on that. Because rn the world's richest man., who invested 200M in a Trump win, has made 200B - 100X return - since the election.. And he is in charge of gov't efficency, has his own comminications and media netwokr and just shut down the gov't. An extra ham sandwich for Clarance Thomas - a lifetime appointee - is meaningless. Come on - let's fix the broken prog system first. PS - As a trans woman and inner city trans civil righs lawyer I had a first hand view at the"resistance." It wasn't rteally. Move on.
This report confirms my growing concern about the Supreme Court’s unchecked ethical issues. It’s unsettling to see Justices Thomas and Alito involved in clear violations, while Chief Justice Roberts refuses to take responsibility. From my perspective as someone watching these developments through a German lens, the lack of enforceable ethical standards is astonishing for a democracy. The call for reforms like the *Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act* seems necessary, but based on the article, I question whether the political will exists to make this happen. It leaves me wondering if public pressure and investigative reporting are the only reliable tools left to hold such powerful institutions accountable.
There's a nice guarded driveway to that Great Camp of Crow's that one passes on the hike to St. Regis mountain. It would be a shame if there were plenty of protesters and a satellite truck or two there sometime.
Edit: meant to write *gated* driveway, but it's probably well guarded also.
We all know there will be no guardrails on these fuckers. They'll continue to get away with what they're doing or be replaced by other awful judges. Who's going to stop them? Certainly not this incoming administration of thugs!
What a horrible Court. And people still vote for the GOP. We have so much work ahead.
Why didn’t Durban release this on a weekday when there was not much other news going on? It will get very little attention now when Congressional and political reporters are covering the government funding drama.
Without a causation element most people do not really care.
There was recently a report that a lower court judge had an ethical charge held against him for criticizing Alito appropriately. He formally apologized, which along with such things as recusal, is an option to satisfactorily address such violations.
A binding ethics code, like Kagan and Jackson (and I assume Sotomayor? she at least joined the liberals in explaining why they do not take part in a case, citing an ethical rule in each situation) has accepted, is the minimum warranted. Thomas at the very least, as AOC declared, should be impeached. He has blatantly violated good behavior rules. The constitutional test.
The report helps put the information out there but it is of course of limited value akin to Durbin's constant overwrought comments and requests for Roberts to do something. Roberts has a lot to answer for. But, I expected Senate Democrats to be more active as well. They had the majority and could have had more hearings, subpoenaed more witnesses, and so on.
The limited ability of Democrats to address SCOTUS -- including things like Dobbs -- to shows the need to go full bore in the ways they could like ending blue slips. If Republicans can't even support ethics, why in the hell should they get to block around 30 district judges?!
I skimmed the report. The portion on constitutional matters is brief. A more extended discussion on "good behavior" and congressional power to pass ethics legislation would have been helpful.
John Roberts, Samuel Alito and Clarence should resign in absolute shame. Given their collective acts of corruption and arrogance, there can Be no respect for their misguided legal opinions (ergo: Citizens United, Dobbs and Trump vs US on presidential immunity). The corrupt majority needs to be brought down and the memory of Scalia must be clarified as completely shameful.
Just like Durbin to wait until the last moment of his majority, letting the opportunity for action against the SCOTUS miscreants slip away. He's been the worst Judiciary chairman in my memory, and I recall Biden et al.
Indonesia? Yacht?
I think I caught a misspelling of the word 'plane' as 'plan': "After significant back and forth, for example, Crow eventually provided information about the times — only for the past seven years — when Thomas or a family member was “a passenger on a yacht or plan owned"
Good reporting, ty for sharing
II’m curious: Did the report also mention that Leonard Leo had already bought Ginni Thomas before her husband’s confirmation?
The Senate takes 20 months to state the obvious. But a SCOTUS transparency act will never pass both houses, nor ever survive a veto by Trump, master of shadows and obtuseness.
Thank you for posting this. Although the public is quite aware of the misconduct of SCOTUS, seeing the findings of the investigation is at least a small offering of information.
I need to set aside time to read this with a highlighter.
No one cares aside form powerless progressives and academics. Move on. We need a new resistance system - work on that. Because rn the world's richest man., who invested 200M in a Trump win, has made 200B - 100X return - since the election.. And he is in charge of gov't efficency, has his own comminications and media netwokr and just shut down the gov't. An extra ham sandwich for Clarance Thomas - a lifetime appointee - is meaningless. Come on - let's fix the broken prog system first. PS - As a trans woman and inner city trans civil righs lawyer I had a first hand view at the"resistance." It wasn't rteally. Move on.
Leon did not succeed in shutting down the government. And, could not disagree more with your comment.