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Hi,
One of the biggest cases currently before the Supreme Court is Moore vs. U.S., and it could hand a $350 billion windfall to some of the biggest corporations in America while declaring wealth taxes unconstitutional.
And though oral arguments haven't even taken place yet, some justices may have already decided how they'll vote due to blatant conflicts of interest.
Justices Samuel Alito and John Roberts personally own stock in 17 of the companies that could benefit from a favorable ruling.1 Justice Clarence Thomas has gotten tens of millions of dollars' worth of gifts and payouts from billionaires who stand to benefit as well.2
The fact that these justices haven't recused themselves shows why their newly announced "code of conduct" is such a joke.3 Demand Progress Action has been pushing for months for a legally binding code of ethics for the Supreme Court, and now we need to turn up the heat to make sure the Senate doesn't back down.
In Moore vs. U.S., the Supreme Court may strike down a key section of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which would result in a $350 billion tax break for corporations like Goldman Sachs and Google. In addition, the Court is being asked to declare all wealth taxes unconstitutional, effectively preventing the ultra-wealthy from ever being taxed fairly.4
Such a ruling would doubly benefit Justices Sam Alito and John Roberts. Together, they own shares in 17 companies that would get $30 billion in tax relief. And it would be a golden opportunity for Clarence Thomas to pay back the billionaires who have been subsidizing his lifestyle with lavish gifts and luxury vacations.
Leonard Leo, the architect of the right-wing takeover of the entire judicial system, has his fingerprints all over Moore vs. U.S., as well. Leo has played a key role in connecting the justices to billionaire benefactors like Paul Singer, and he's closely tied to two right-wing groups lobbying the court, the Manhattan Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute.5
It's a complex web of connections that boils down to abject corruption, plain and simple.
The good news is that momentum for a real, legally binding ethics code is growing in Congress, and the Senate Judiciary Committee may even subpoena Leonard Leo and Harlan Crow, two of the major players in the Supreme Court scandals that have broken in recent months.6
We at Demand Progress Action are turning up the pressure to demand that these justices recuse themselves and to urge Congress to pass a real, legally binding code of ethics for the Supreme Court.
With gratitude for all that you do,
Tihi and the team at Demand Progress Action
Sources:
1. The Lever, "Justices Have Financial Interest In Major Tax Case," September 27, 2023.
2. ProPublica, "Friends of the Court," accessed November 22, 2023.
3. The New Yorker, "The Supreme Court’s Self-Excusing Ethics Code," November 21, 2023.
4. Tax Policy Center, "Examining the Tax Rules at Risk in SCOTUS Moore v. US Case,"
October 11, 2023.
5. Slate, "Oh, Look! Billionaires Have Their Perfect Case to Start the Supreme Court Term." October 2, 2023.
6. MSNBC, "Sen. Whitehouse still wants subpoenas for Crow and Leo," November 14, 2023.
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