'Shady and corrupt': Barrett real estate de​al added to list of Supreme Court ethics scandals

[Nevilledog]

https://www.alternet.org/barrett-real-estate-deal-ethics/

Thursday reporting on a real estate deal made by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett months after her confirmation in 2020 was the latest evidence, said a government watchdog, that ethics reforms at the high court must either be imposed by the judiciary or Congress.

Days after ProPublica reported on Justice Samuel Alito's previously undisclosed private jet trip—funded by a billionaire hedge fund owner whose business has been involved in numerous Supreme Court cases—CNN revealed that Barrett has had financial dealings with the Religious Liberty Initiative (RLI) at Notre Dame Law School.

A Note Dame professor who had just taken a leadership role at RLI purchased Barrett's private home months after she was sworn in in October 2020.

The group, which advocates for religious freedom, was founded in 2020 and has filed numerous amicus briefs in cases related to the issue—related to questions surrounding abortion, public health precautions, and school prayer—since it was established. RLI has filed at least nine briefs with the court since the sale of Barrett's home.

*snip*


It is a captured and corrupt court.

[scarletlib]

1. Agreed. Absolutely corrupt.

Court reform desperately needed.

[wendyb-NC]

2. It's sickening

Makes one wonder what other liberties these shameless, entitled, elites have engaged in. They are not to be trusted.

[MagickMuffin]

3. I guess we should acknowledge John Roberts Corporate World Connections

John Roberts has always sided with the corporate world. It only seems logical that the rest of the court would bend their knee since they apparently are mostly from the Federalist Society. That’s where the real vetting takes place.

[usonian]

4. Ask them to voluntarily (ha ha) agree to a code of ethics.

If they refuse, that says everything that needs to be said, and solidifies their unfitness, and future reversal of their biased and corrupt decisions. (and as soon as possible, if not sooner)

I firmly believe that their decisions are completely tainted and deserving of the shitcan.

AND TO BE IGNORED AS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED DESTRUCTION OF THE CONSTITUTION.

Pardon the all-caps.


Oh, and if they agree, make them compensate for the bribes they have taken and re-consider all possibly tainted decisions.

And resign.

Not asking much.

[Snarkoleptic]

5. Ethics 101- Avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety.

It's not that tough, but the allure of billionaire largess is too much for CONservative SCOTUS justices to withstand.

[Walleye]

15. I know, when I worked for a newspaper we weren't allowed to take anything except homemade cookies

[JHB]

32. Hell, that was the mantra of those who insisted Bill Clinton be investigated...

...over a land deal where he lost money -- and were fine with it expanding as they fished around for something that would hold up in any court other than the court of conservative talk radio opinion.

[czarjak]

6. It's rigged, folks. The Baptist/Catholic connection is fascinating though.

Always in agreement.

[BOSSHOG]

9. Let's make the separation of church and state optional

For all churches.

Choice number one, stay the hell out of the states business (in the form of a laboriously written contract with tons of incredibly binding legalize) and maintain your tax exempt status, or

Choice number two, keep on fucking with the states business and forfeit your church’s tax exempt status.

I know, I’ll be booed out of the stadium, but I am as serious as Churchs who meddle with the goal of codification of religious belief. Abortion anyone?

At the very least the public will find out which churches value what.

[Walleye]

16. Religion with government always a losing combination

[BOSSHOG]

19. For government and the governed.

[pnwmom]

12. Only the right wing is in agreement, and that's only for convenience.

Rightwing Baptists don't consider any Catholics to be true Christians.

[SunSeeker]

14. Yup. That's why DeSantis stays quiet about his Catholic faith.

https://apnews.com/article/governor-ron-desantis-catholic-republican-religious-voters-766131e0c743f4bf854bc47c89720522

[BOSSHOG]

20. I left the Catholic Church years ago

And am doing quite fine, kind and generous. It is my humble opinion that if Jesus popped up on earth he’d be whupping the asses of most of those who claim his name as their own. I’m jaded on religion. The number one goal of the higher ups is money. Lots of it. Organized religion and the Republican Party both love stupid people.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

30. Well, keep thinking that if it makes you feel better

But I doubt he would disagree with them as much as you think.

He supported some truly horrifying things. Permanent torture chief among them.

[czarjak]

23. Blacks, Jews, Catholics. The Klan's original Big 3. History.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

29. It works the same in reverse

In fact, it tends to work across the denominations, and across religions, too.

Thus it has always been, and thus it will always be.

[Captain Zero]

25. so that when there is one protestant church allowed it will be some form of Baptist.

nt

[czarjak]

26. AKA Catholic Catch. Not happening.

[JHB]

33. We need to have more evangelicals caught on camera saying...

..."Catholics aren't Christian" and get those videos where Catholics will see them. In English- and Spanish-speaking media.

Ask some evangelical (or evangelical-courting) politicians that question: "Are Catholics Christian?"

Take advantage of their absolutism and bigotry.* Divide and conquer can work both ways, if we just make use of it.

*Not that RW Catholics aren't bigoted, but it's not usually turned against other RWers, whereas evangelical anti-Catholicism is.

[czarjak]

34. Baptist didn't really embrace Evangelism until the Reagan/Falwell Union.

[JHB]

36. So? That was then, this is now. Especially Southern Baptists.

[republianmushroom]

7. Ethics (?) What are ethics ? Naw we don't need those encumbering rules.

[czarjak]

35. Screw safety too was sound policy? Subliminal.

[RainCaster]

8. We need a recusal list published with each SCOTUS request

Part of the process of requesting "advice" from the SC needs to be a list of all the potential reasons why specific justices need to recuse themselves from the requested decision.

[BOSSHOG]

10. Or republicans

Stop nominating judges they own.

[AllaN01Bear]

11. i guess they dont like the sep of church and state clause .

want us to move back to the 1800s

[dchill]

13. You're not on the Federalist Society list unless...

... you're compromisable. No straight, honest candidates need apply.

[Walleye]

17. We used to have trust and faith that our Supreme Court justices were above this kind of thing

Among the many things we used to have and have lost recently

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

18. WOW WOW WOW

[FakeNoose]

21. She could have sold her house to ANY OTHER professor and it would have meant nothing

But she had to sell it to the one person that had every intention of taking advantage.
Really - how stupid and/or corrupt is Amy Coney Barrett?

[Hekate]

22. They've decided they are above the law. Past time for Congress to rein them in from their reign.

[calimary]

24. Well, maybe we should start making noise about this.

SCOTUS is the only branch of our government NOT to have some sort of code of ethics. That’s gonna be one of our asks this weekend.

I’m mentioning Clarence (“the Crook”) Thomas, Samuel Alito, and just now found another one involving Amy Coney Barrett. AND I was noticing this outfit called the Religious Liberty Initiative that appears to figure into some sweetheart deals with both Alito AND Barrett - in separate involvements.

Am I crazy because I think I’m noticing a fishy smell?

I'll post the ask I just wrote up, for distribution early next week:

[calimary]

28. HERE, for example:

Supremely Courting Conflicts of Interest
It’s now three Supreme Court Justices flirting with lucrative side deals, financial benefits, and questionable ethics. First, Justice Clarence Thomas was exposed by ProPublica for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in lavish gifts, vacations, and super-yacht and private jet travel from GOP mega-donor Harlan Crow, who gave another half-million dollars to Thomas’s wife, Ginni. Crow didn’t have an interest in any case before the high court. But Thomas didn’t report any of these extravagant gifts, in possible violation of ethics law.
ProPublica says Justice Samuel Alito may have similar legal troubles because of his own billionaire-benefactor, GOP mega-donor Paul Singer, who actually has had cases before the court at least ten times. Alito never reported Singer’s gifts of fishing trips, private jet travel, or other fancy freebies in his yearly disclosures either. Also, the influential right-wing Religious Liberty Initiative (RLI) paid for Alito’s junket to Rome after the court overturned Roe v. Wade.
And now, CNN says Justice Amy Coney Barrett has conflicts-of-interest involving the RLI at Notre Dame Law School, the sale of her house to an RLI member after she joined the bench, and at least nine RLI briefs before the court since the house was sold.
The Supreme Court is the only branch of government without a code of ethics. It needs one.


(Use one or more of the bullet points below to compose your message)

Senators Wyden and Merkley Talking Points: Hi. My name is _______ and I live in __________(include ZIP Code).
- I hope you’re joining your colleagues who’ve called for investigations and ethics reform for the Supreme Court. The court needs a strict code of ethics.
- Justices should not be allowed to rule on cases involving wealthy friends who’ve given them lavish gifts, who might also have cases before the court. That’s why we need a code of ethics for the Supreme Court, so no one doubts its integrity!
- We need serious rules ordering Supreme Court justices to recuse themselves if their rich friends have cases before the court. It’s time for a formal code of ethics.
- I hope you’re working on a code of ethics for the Supreme Court. We must have disclosure of expensive gifts, trips, and business deals from wealthy friends with cases before the court.


https://www.propublica.org/article/samuel-alito-luxury-fishing-trip-paul-singer-scotus-supreme-court - ProPublica - Justice Samuel Alito took luxury fishing trip with billionaire with business before the Supreme Court ten times
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/04/clarence-thomas-ethics-violations-supreme-court - Vanity Fair - Clarence Thomas Is On a Quest to Be the Most Corrupt Justice In the Court
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/05/05/clarence-thomas-here-are-all-the-ethics-scandals-involving-the-supreme-court-justice-amid-new-revelations/?sh=270cedacab84 - Forbes - Clarence Thomas: Here Are All The Ethics Scandals Involving The Supreme Court Justice Amid New Revelations
https://www.alternet.org/barrett-real-estate-deal-ethics/ - Alternet.org - 'Shady and corrupt': Barrett real estate de​al added to list of Supreme Court ethics scandals

[gratuitous]

27. RLI "advocates for religious freedom"

And they file amicus briefs surrounding abortion, public health precautions and school prayer. How does compulsory school prayer (for example) advance religious freedom? The freedom to practice someone else's religion? Doesn't sound very free to me. And what does religious freedom have to do with women's health? There are a shit-ton of religious types who are more than happy to dictate their religious preferences as the basis for a woman making her own health care decisions. Again, not very free is it for someone who doesn't subscribe to a peculiar set of religious predilections. And what does religion have to do with best practices for public health? Public health professionals invest their learning and their career to making the best decisions for everyone's benefit. If someone wants to yap about the healing stories in the gospel, that's their lookout. But they shouldn't be overriding the judgment of trained professionals.

[Jersey Devil]

31. The big question is did they pay more than market value for the property

It is unethical that any deal took place, but it is far worse if the buyer paid more than the property was worth. Why has no one reported on this?

[LiberalFighter]

37. She is absolutely in it deep.