Team,

Just a couple weeks ago and after much urging from me, the federal judiciary announced that it was taking a step to improve ethics standards for Supreme Court justices by tightening up what qualifies as “personal hospitality.” It was a small, important bit of progress that should result in some additional public disclosure by judges.

Then last week the Justice Thomas news broke, spotlighting the mess at the Supreme Court. Thomas received a long list of extravagant gifts and trips from a Republican mega-donor over decades, including exotic vacations on the billionaire’s mega-yacht and travel on his private jet. None of this had been disclosed to the public.

Justice Thomas issued a rare response to the bombshell story, claiming that he believed this kind of personal hospitality from a “close personal friend” did not need to be disclosed.

I disagree. If you’re a Supreme Court justice accepting free vacations – from a politically active multi-billionaire – including extravagant trips worth over $500,000, it just doesn’t pass the laugh test to suggest the American people don’t have an interest in knowing that information. Particularly if the notorious Court-fixer Leonard Leo is on the vacation with you.

I’ve long been fighting to create a strong code of ethics – with investigations and determinations – at the Supreme Court. Can you support my work by chipping in anything you can afford today?

Right now, we have a Supreme Court that serves the interests of corporations and right-wing billionaire donors, rather than the American people. If the justices can be wined and dined and flown around in luxurious fashion by billionaires in secret, it’s no wonder big money interests win so often before this Court.

We need real ethics reform at SCOTUS, and we need it now. Can you help keep me in this fight by donating just $5 right now?

I’ve been leading the way on this for a long time and we’ve got a lot of momentum now. Help me keep it up.

Thank you,

Sheldon

 

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