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Hi,
There is an old saying, “a man is known by the company he keeps”.
With that in mind, let’s look at Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
His recent attendance at a private holiday party saw him alongside deplorables like Stephen Miller, Matt Gaetz, and Sebastian Gorka.1 The right-wing organization Miller runs currently has cases before the Supreme Court 2, Gaetz is currently under investigation for sex trafficking3, and Gorka is a member of a literal neo-Nazi organization.4
This isn’t just offensive, it should be illegal…but it isn’t. The federal judicial code of ethics, which prohibits judges from fraternizing with parties who have matters before them, DOES NOT APPLY to Supreme Court Justices. Congress can amend this blatant oversight by passing the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act.
Sign the petition: Tell Congress to pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act!
One of the most unbelievable facts about our federal government is that there are no formal ethics rules for Supreme Court justices. There is NOTHING stopping them from owning stocks or hearing cases in which they have conflicts of interest.
The implications here are disturbing. The Supreme Court is arguably the most powerful institution in the country. Its justices are appointed for life and are granted virtually unchecked power. There are no rules regarding when they must recuse themselves or even reveal potential conflicts of interest.5
This is why Kavanaugh felt so comfortable attending that ultra right-wing extremist Christmas party. It doesn’t matter that it was hosted by Matt Schlapp, chair of the far-right American Conservative Union and the organizer of the annual CPAC conference. It could have been a literal campaign rally for Donald Trump and Kavanaugh would not have been breaking any laws.
It’s outrageous that the justices of the Supreme Court do not have to abide by the same ethics rules that all other federal judges and lawmakers must abide by.
Sign the petition: Tell Congress to pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act!
Thanks for taking action,
Miguel and the team at Demand Progress
Sources:
1. Bloomberg Law, “Kavanaugh Holiday Party Appearance Raises Ethics Questions,” December 12, 2022.
2. CNN, “Stephen Miller-led group emerges as top legal foe of Biden initiatives,” December 15, 2022.
3. CNBC, “Prosecutors recommend against charging GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz in sex trafficking probe, report says,” September 23, 2022.
4. WNYC Studios, “Trump Advisor Sebastian Gorka Accused of Having Nazi Ties,” March 17, 2017.
5. Brennan Center for Justice, “Brennan Center Urges Supreme Court Justices to Adopt a Code of Ethics,” September 24, 2019.
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