John, after the past 12 months, there is no ignoring the unprecedented web of corruption woven by the right-wing extremists dominating our stolen, illegitimate Supreme Court.

2023 will go down as a year when the curtain dropped and the conservative justices’ misconduct was revealed in technicolor. As we reflect on some of the most egregious ethics violations at the high court this year, it becomes all the more clear how necessary it is for us to keep the momentum for court reform building in 2024.

• THE SHAM REPORT: Earlier this year — months after its intended release date — the court finally released the findings of its investigation into who leaked the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org. draft decision back in May 2022. The report, however, brought up more questions than it answered. Not only do we still not know who leaked the opinion — we also don’t know to what degree the justices themselves were actually investigated, since they were not obligated to sign affidavits like rank-and-file Supreme Court staff. And after recent bombshell reporting in the New York Times raised real questions about whether the right-wing justices colluded with lawyers from Mississippi to overturn Roe and leaked their own draft opinion, we were reminded once again that the actions of these politicians in robes are often more deceitful and dangerous than they already appear.
  
  
• THE THOMAS PROPUBLICA STORIES: Speaking of bombshells… Thanks in enormous part to ProPublica’s investigative team, 2023 was Clarence Thomas’ year — if one’s year is determined by how many instances of one’s ethical misconduct and corruption make national headlines. From international super-yacht trips and exclusive vacation enclaves to tuition payments to a luxury R.V., there was no shortage of stories this year highlighting evidence of wealthy benefactors lavishing Clarence Thomas with gifts and favors.
  
  
• THE SUBPOENAS: This year closed with some major news from our Democratic leaders in Congress: the Senate Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas to Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo — wealthy conservative actors whose close financial ties to justices including Thomas raise serious concerns about corruption and misconduct at the Supreme Court.

Fresh reports of ethical misconduct by the right-wing justices won’t stop after the ball drops on New Year’s Eve. There’s still a lot we’re going to learn. 

But there are some things we know right now, for certain: our ceaseless work uplifting these stories, our collective anger, and our advocacy are working. This relentless pressure campaign has put the right-wing operatives on the bench on the defensive — as evidenced by Justice Alito’s desperate public relations campaign in the Wall Street Journal and the toothless, laughable “code of conduct” the court rolled out months later.

The justices know the American people are fed up. They know their actions have forever stained the court’s reputation, and they’re trying to make it look like they’re taking the public’s concerns seriously. But we know better.

The sheer volume of corruption revealed this year only underscores the urgency of our work to reform and rebalance the judiciary — so it can actually work for everyone. Subpoenas are crucial, but we can’t stop there. Will you support our work with a donation so we can keep this momentum going in the new year?

We have long called for Congress to investigate corruption at the court, and this is just the first step in the process. If one thing is clear, it’s that the court’s ethics problem isn’t going away on its own. 

We have to keep up the pressure, and keep fighting.

Grateful to be in this fight with you,

Sarah Lipton-Lubet

President of Take Back the Court Action Fund