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Kid Berwyn

(14,953 posts)
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 09:20 AM Apr 2023

Law firm head bought Gorsuch-owned property

Source: Politico

For nearly two years beginning in 2015, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch sought a buyer for a 40-acre tract of property he co-owned in rural Granby, Colo.

Nine days after he was confirmed by the Senate for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court, the then-circuit court judge got one: The chief executive of Greenberg Traurig, one of the nation’s biggest law firms with a robust practice before the high court. Gorsuch owned the property with two other individuals.

On April 16 of 2017, Greenberg’s Brian Duffy put under contract the 3,000-square foot log home on the Colorado River and nestled in the mountains northwest of Denver, according to real estate records.

He and his wife closed on the house a month later, paying $1.825 million, according to a deed in the county’s record system. Gorsuch, who held a 20 percent stake, reported making between $250,001 and $500,000 from the sale on his federal disclosure forms.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/25/neil-gorsuch-colorado-property-sale-00093579



Clarence has company in corruption.
43 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Law firm head bought Gorsuch-owned property (Original Post) Kid Berwyn Apr 2023 OP
He reported it, though. Ocelot II Apr 2023 #1
It was probably legal, but the ethics of the situation do look sketchy. Lonestarblue Apr 2023 #2
Indeed they do. Ocelot II Apr 2023 #4
Timing may be coincidental but qzwv8j Apr 2023 #37
Left out the buyer's name when reported. Definitely unethical. quaint Apr 2023 #3
The reporting requirements definitely need some teeth. Ocelot II Apr 2023 #5
Apparently, they only look at the numbers and the math, on this one, looks right. jaxexpat Apr 2023 #14
Devil is in the details...and there are a lot of details. NullTuples Apr 2023 #42
Yes, it does appear that the disclosure was incomplete. Ocelot II Apr 2023 #43
Imagine that. 2naSalit Apr 2023 #6
Not a fan of Gorsuch, but one does have a right to sell property Freethinker65 Apr 2023 #7
Couldn't fit Politico's sub-head... Kid Berwyn Apr 2023 #8
Had no idea that was required. Freethinker65 Apr 2023 #12
Revealing from whom you take money is required of ALL Farmer-Rick Apr 2023 #15
Taking a page from his pal Clarence. calimary Apr 2023 #25
Sure, but....... mjvpi Apr 2023 #32
I doubt anyone here remembers DENVERPOPS Apr 2023 #34
There ya go. Got property you can't unload? tanyev Apr 2023 #9
what? yet another crooked right wing federalist asshole supreme court judge? Javaman Apr 2023 #10
One more person who has no right to sit on the SCOTUS Botany Apr 2023 #11
This SCOTUS ethics crisis is getting Deep. ancianita Apr 2023 #13
He reported it. Novara Apr 2023 #16
I should have read further Novara Apr 2023 #18
How did those cases fare? How did Gorsuch vote? Got a link? KPN Apr 2023 #23
Ruled in favor of his "hidden" benefactor in 75 percent of cases (that we know of)... oioioi Apr 2023 #27
Thank you. I actually went back to the article and finished reading -- my bad. I'm guessing the KPN Apr 2023 #29
It's disgusting oioioi Apr 2023 #30
Perfect! KPN Apr 2023 #31
LOL...........EPA ??????????????? DENVERPOPS Apr 2023 #35
Well, well, well.... the scum doesn't fall far from the bag... oioioi Apr 2023 #36
How much land do progressives have to buy to won a SCOTUS Justice? Yavin4 Apr 2023 #17
What?!?!? A Republican justice (and that is what they are - first and foremost) doing crime? Moostache Apr 2023 #19
The most important issue in his confirmation hearings seemed to be mountain grammy Apr 2023 #20
They're all frigging grifters. RepubliCON party parties while USA burns down. How can there KPN Apr 2023 #21
Our system wasn't set up for this level of corruption Johnny2X2X Apr 2023 #22
Should the headline be fixed by dropping last two words? Bernardo de La Paz Apr 2023 #24
One hand washes the other dlk Apr 2023 #26
Ethics republianmushroom Apr 2023 #28
Right wingers believe they're above the law Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Apr 2023 #33
Law shmaw COL Mustard Apr 2023 #40
Of course he did Joinfortmill Apr 2023 #38
It's just coincidence! COL Mustard Apr 2023 #39
Et tu, corrupte'? ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #41

qzwv8j

(87 posts)
37. Timing may be coincidental but
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 05:22 PM
Apr 2023

Agreed…. Looks definately sketchy. But no where near 5he blat3nt disregard for 5h3 law as Thomas. They need to keep digging.

quaint

(2,579 posts)
3. Left out the buyer's name when reported. Definitely unethical.
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 09:29 AM
Apr 2023

Apparently the justices could shoot someone on 5th Avenue...

jaxexpat

(6,849 posts)
14. Apparently, they only look at the numbers and the math, on this one, looks right.
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 10:22 AM
Apr 2023

Ethics rules have simply not kept up with those challenges presented by the unfettered proliferation of 21st century Republicans.

NullTuples

(6,017 posts)
42. Devil is in the details...and there are a lot of details.
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 10:21 PM
Apr 2023

From Rolling Stone:


Politico reported that Gorsuch had sought a buyer for nearly two years for the 3,000-square-foot home located northwest of Denver and that Greenberg Traurig CEO Brian Duffy put the property under contract nine days after Gorsuch’s Senate confirmation to the high court in April 2017.

Greenberg Traurig, which employs more than 2,000 attorneys, is regularly involved in cases before the high court.

Grand County, Colo., real estate records show that Brian and Kari Duffy, which match the names of the firm’s CEO and his wife, closed on a property sold by Walden Group, LLC, the name of Gorsuch’s company, on May 19, 2017. The sale was for $1.825 million, the records indicate.

Gorsuch reportedly owned a 20 percent stake in the company, and his two partners each owned 40 percent. Gorsuch in his annual financial disclosure that year noted he received between $250,001-$500,000 for a sale stemming from the company, but a box for the identity of the buyer is left blank.

Freethinker65

(10,048 posts)
7. Not a fan of Gorsuch, but one does have a right to sell property
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 09:32 AM
Apr 2023

Was the eventual sale price way above market value? Otherwise, I can actually understand trying to profit from (or even take a slight loss) to unload property (even co-owned vacation type) if you are relocating across the country for a permanent job.

Appears Gorsuch also reported the capital gains.

Kid Berwyn

(14,953 posts)
8. Couldn't fit Politico's sub-head...
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 09:38 AM
Apr 2023
The Supreme Court justice did not report the identity of the purchaser, whose firm has had numerous cases before the court.

Freethinker65

(10,048 posts)
12. Had no idea that was required.
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 10:16 AM
Apr 2023

I did not prepare the taxes when my family sold a non-homestead property and had to declare capital gains.

Also thought purchasers of substantial properties often use LLCs? Surprised the purchaser did so in his own name.

Farmer-Rick

(10,207 posts)
15. Revealing from whom you take money is required of ALL
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 11:11 AM
Apr 2023

Federal workers.

Seems the Robert's Court is not above taking bribes AND hiding them.

So much for good behavior. I'll let the US Constitution say it: "The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour," Sure doesn't look like good behavior to most anyone with common sense.

mjvpi

(1,389 posts)
32. Sure, but.......
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 01:32 PM
Apr 2023

….the trying to sell for two years then finding a buyer who argues in front of SCOTUS nine days after confirmation. Come on. Ethics demand even the appearance of impropriety be avoided. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck……

For the Supreme Court to work correctly, the law and the constitution need to be observed spiritually by the justices. This story confirms my greatest fear about Gorsuch; that he places money in the spiritual realm.

DENVERPOPS

(8,844 posts)
34. I doubt anyone here remembers
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 02:04 PM
Apr 2023

his "Mommie".........Ann Gorsuch, and her time in Federal Office and her trail of corruption.....Like Mom, Like Son............
Like many others, she resigned, just in the nick of time, to keep from being charged with corruption like so many in the Reagan years.

tanyev

(42,610 posts)
9. There ya go. Got property you can't unload?
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 09:41 AM
Apr 2023

Get yourself appointed to the Supreme Court. Buyers will come out of the woodwork!


Javaman

(62,534 posts)
10. what? yet another crooked right wing federalist asshole supreme court judge?
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 09:58 AM
Apr 2023

I'm surprised, I tells ya, surprised...

Botany

(70,581 posts)
11. One more person who has no right to sit on the SCOTUS
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 10:08 AM
Apr 2023

McConnell blocked President Obama's Constitutionally prescribed right to have his
pick for the Supreme Court and Trump got into the White House because of massive
Russian interference into the 2016 election.

Roberts and Alito are on the bench because of bush v Gore and Gorsch, Kavanaugh,
and Coney Island are from that Russian asset called Trump. And Thomas should have
been stopped because of Anita Hill's testimony.

Novara

(5,851 posts)
18. I should have read further
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 11:34 AM
Apr 2023

He disclosed it but left the identification blank. What's more:

Since then, Greenberg Traurig has been involved in at least 22 cases before or presented to the court, according to a POLITICO review of the court’s docket.


So yeah, more corruption.

KPN

(15,650 posts)
23. How did those cases fare? How did Gorsuch vote? Got a link?
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 12:11 PM
Apr 2023

Ooops. Nevermind. "I should have read further" ....

oioioi

(1,127 posts)
27. Ruled in favor of his "hidden" benefactor in 75 percent of cases (that we know of)...
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 12:27 PM
Apr 2023

Since then, Greenberg Traurig has been involved in at least 22 cases before or presented to the court, according to a POLITICO review of the court’s docket.

They include cases in which Greenberg either filed amicus briefs or represented parties. In the 12 cases where Gorsuch’s opinion is recorded, he sided with Greenberg Traurig clients eight times and against them four times.

In addition, a Denver-based lawyer for Greenberg represented North Dakota in what became one of the more highly publicized rulings in recent years, a multistate suit which reversed former President Barack Obama’s plan to fight climate change through the Clean Air Act.

Gorsuch joined the court’s other five conservative judges in agreeing with the plaintiffs — including Greenberg’s client — that the Environmental Protection Agency had overstepped its authority by regulating carbon emissions from power plants in the decision that makes it more difficult for the executive branch to regulate emissions without express authorization from Congress.



KPN

(15,650 posts)
29. Thank you. I actually went back to the article and finished reading -- my bad. I'm guessing the
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 12:48 PM
Apr 2023

4 times Gorsuch sided against Greenberg Traurig GT wasn't all that invested in winning anyway. Totally subjective on my part, but what the heck. At this stage, they get no slack from me.

oioioi

(1,127 posts)
30. It's disgusting
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 12:53 PM
Apr 2023

They already have lives of immense privilege and wealth, that the overwhelming majority of Americans can only dream of.

Yet they still cheat.

DENVERPOPS

(8,844 posts)
35. LOL...........EPA ???????????????
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 02:14 PM
Apr 2023

Ann Gorsuch, his mother, as I remember, was running the EPA in the Reagan years and I can remember she literally tried to destroy the EPA, as well as being about ready to be charged with corruption when she suddenly resigned and failed to be indicted......

I am beginning to think that the Republican Party is, in all reality, a criminally corrupt organization, run much like a mafia family.

Hillary said it best during the debates: "The Republicans are a large right wing conspiracy"...... and everyone, even Dems thought she was paranoid and delusional.....

The humongous amount of lies, and crap that was being rained down on her by Putin, Trump, and the Republicans was un-precedented in any previous election. It became more than obvious that she wasn't mistaken......

oioioi

(1,127 posts)
36. Well, well, well.... the scum doesn't fall far from the bag...
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 02:26 PM
Apr 2023

Anne Gorsuch’s brief, troubled tenure as EPA administrator had to have influenced the outlook of her then impressionable 16-year-old son, who had moved from Denver to D.C. with his mother before she caused the first major scandal of the Reagan administration.

Gorsuch’s appointment was assured after she agreed with Reagan budget director David Stockman that the EPA could easily get along with a 50 percent funding cut. Before she came to Washington, Gorsuch, a Colorado state representative, was already a well-known foe of environmental enforcement, and she brought that worldview with her and her son to the capital. Her chief counsel at the EPA was a lawyer from Exxon, and her chief enforcement officer was a lawyer from General Motors.

In 1981, she met with executives from Thriftway Co., a small Southwest gasoline refiner, and told the company representatives that it didn’t make sense to enforce EPA regulations on removing lead from gas, since unleaded gasoline rules were already in the works. After the meeting, she talked with a Senate aide who then caught up with the Thriftway reps and relayed the message that—though she couldn’t tell them to break the law—she hoped they’d gotten the point.

https://redgreenandblue.org/2022/07/13/epa-ann-gorsuch-tried-trash-agency-scotus-son-neil-gorsuch-succeeding/

Moostache

(9,897 posts)
19. What?!?!? A Republican justice (and that is what they are - first and foremost) doing crime?
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 11:37 AM
Apr 2023

Gorsuch, Thomas, Kavanaugh...I guarantee they are all guilty of 10X worse than the information we already know about them. I also believe Alito is dirty as a pig sty to boot. Problem is, the GOP does NOT CARE - they won't prosecute or allow prosecution of Trump and they will not allow this either.

The Supreme Court is a politicized body of appointed hacks and ideologues. There is no redeeming this current court, what needs to happen is a implosion of the entire criminal element on the court and a resignation of Roberts for overseeing the destruction of the court's integrity and standing in history.

Metallica was right all the way back in '88 on "...and Justice for All."

Halls of justice painted green, money talking
Power wolves beset your door, hear them stalking
Soon you'll please their appetite they devour
Hammer of justice crushes you, overpower

The ultimate in vanity
Exploiting their supremacy
I can't believe the things you say
I can't believe, I can't believe the price
You pay, nothing can save you


Justice is lost, justice is raped, justice is gone
Pulling your strings, justice is done
Seeking no truth, winning is all
Find it so grim, so true, so real


Apathy their stepping stone, so unfeeling
Hidden deep animosity, so deceiving
Through your eyes their light burns, hoping to find
Inquisition sinking you with prying minds

The ultimate in vanity
Exploiting their supremacy
I can't believe the things you say
I can't believe, I can't believe the price
You pay, nothing can save you


Justice is lost, justice is raped, justice is gone
Pulling your strings, justice is done
Seeking no truth, winning is all
Find it so grim, so true, so real


Lady justice has been raped, truth assassin
Rolls of red tape seal your lips, now you're done in
Their money tips her scales again, make your deal
Just what is truth? I cannot tell, cannot feel

The ultimate in vanity
Exploiting their supremacy
I can't believe the things you say
I can't believe, I can't believe the price
We pay, nothing can save us


Justice is lost, justice is raped, justice is gone
Pulling your strings, justice is done
Seeking no truth, winning is all
Find it so grim, so true, so real

Seeking no truth, winning is all
Find it so grim, so true, so real

KPN

(15,650 posts)
21. They're all frigging grifters. RepubliCON party parties while USA burns down. How can there
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 12:09 PM
Apr 2023

be meaningful accountability if they've embedded to the highest levels? Can't.

Johnny2X2X

(19,114 posts)
22. Our system wasn't set up for this level of corruption
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 12:11 PM
Apr 2023

The office of the Presidency, the Senate, and the SCOTUS were all considered beyond repraoch by the founders. There didn't have to be guard rails against corruption because only the most noble among us could possible ascend to those positions. So you have a SCOTUS openly taking bribes from litigants who appear before them, and there's literally nothing that can be done about it.

There's so little oversight with any teeth that a party to a big case could make it all totally public that they were paying justices for their votes and still nothing could be done.

We're in big trouble in this country right now becuase of this corruption because the founders never anticipated it.

dlk

(11,576 posts)
26. One hand washes the other
Tue Apr 25, 2023, 12:20 PM
Apr 2023

Without any ethics rules, this is merely business as usual for some of the SCOTUS judges.

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