Hi,
The New York Times has uncovered another Supreme Court ethics scandal, and
it's a doozy.
A little-known charity connected to the Court called the Supreme Court
Historical Society has been raising millions from right-wing special
interests with major cases before the justices — and none of it was
disclosed to the public before now.
Chevron gave $190,000 while the Supreme Court considered countless major
cases on global warming and the environment. UPS gave more than half a
million as the justices were considering a pregnancy discrimination suit
against the company. A corporate lawyer who advocated on behalf of Purdue
Pharma, the notorious manufacturers of OxyContin, gave $187,500.^1
And what did they get in exchange for their generosity? Direct access to
the justices, including invitations to black-tie dinners, lectures, and
other events.
The Supreme Court Historical Society scandal broke almost a month ago, and
Chief Justice John Roberts and the other justices haven't said a word
about it. No investigation, no accountability, no talk of reform. Nothing.
[ [link removed] ]The Supreme Court has proven that it can't be trusted to police itself
and needs a legally binding code of ethics. Will you donate today to
Demand Progress Action to help power our work, including urging Congress
to pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act?
[ [link removed] ]Donate $10
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[ [link removed] ]Donate $40
[ [link removed] ]Or, donate another amount
The Supreme Court Historical Society is ostensibly devoted to preserving
and explaining the Court’s history. It claims to be independent from the
Supreme Court, but its offices are around the corner, and then Chief
Justice Warren Burger served as its honorary chairman when it was founded
in 1974.^2
Since then, it has raised $25 million without any rules or regulations for
reporting, transparency, or conflicts of interest.
The New York Times report was able to trace a little less than half of the
donations that have been made to the charity, and almost two-thirds came
from parties that regularly do business before the Court.
Anti-LGBTQ groups. Wall Street banks, like Goldman Sachs. Anti-abortion
lobbyists. Big Cable. Facebook.
They all gave, they all had cases before the Court, and many of them won.
The nine justices of the Supreme Court are appointed for life, and despite
their virtually unchecked power, there are no rules regarding when they
must recuse themselves or even reveal potential conflicts of interest.
Without ethical standards, justices don't have to recuse themselves when
they have a conflict of interest or even disclose such conflicts.^3
At a time when the Supreme Court is in the process of gutting decades of
precedent on voting rights, abortion rights, civil rights, and countless
other major issues affecting Americans' lives, Congress must finally take
action and impose a code of ethics on the justices.
[ [link removed] ]Will you donate $10 today to help urge Congress to pass a
code of ethics for the Supreme Court, and push for other key reforms?
With gratitude for all you do,
Tihi and the team at Demand Progress Action
[ [link removed] ]DONATE
Sources:
1. The New York Times, "A Charity Tied to the Supreme Court Offers Donors
Access to the Justices," [ [link removed] ]January 1, 2023.
2. Supreme Court Historical Society, "The Society's Mission," [ [link removed] ]accessed
January 24, 2023.
3. Brennan Center for Justice, "Brennan Center Urges Supreme Court
Justices to Adopt a Code of Ethics," [ [link removed] ]September 24, 2019.
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