Team,
“Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has been arguing for years that a flood of “dark money” flowing through right-wing front groups has corrupted the Supreme Court. Never has there been more evidence to bolster his claim.” – The Washington Post
In the wake of the news that Court-capture operative Leonard Leo connected Justice Samuel Alito with a right-wing billionaire who funded a private jet ride to an extravagant fishing trip, all before his hedge fund had business before the Court, many people are coming around to what Sheldon has been saying for years: Our current system leaves the Supreme Court open to corruption.
Senator Whitehouse, who has long led the fight to expose the Court’s self-imposed ethics problems, spoke with Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin about the Alito news, where the corruption stems from, and how we can solve it.
Leo hand-picked Supreme Court nominees for President Trump to choose from during his administration. Then, Leo and his conservative network spent tens of millions of dollars to make sure Senate Republicans confirmed the judges. And Leo connects amenable justices with billionaire buddies to enjoy free gifts, lodging, and luxurious vacations. And then the justices advance a right-wing agenda that pleases the billionaire class.
How to solve the problem? In the interview, Sheldon discusses his Supreme Court Ethics Recusal and Transparency (SCERT) Act, which would establish a clear process for investigating allegations of misconduct, strengthen recusal standards and disclosure rules, and hold the Court to a binding code of ethics. It’s the best thing Congress can do to hold SCOTUS accountable, and it needs to be done.
People across the country are taking notice of his work. It’s time the justices on our highest Court are subject to standards to prevent conflicts of interest. Sheldon is ready to get it done. We’ve got the momentum on our side, so we can’t let up now.
Thank you,
Team Whitehouse
