Supreme Court Blithely Disdains Ethics
From Jagjit Singh, Los Altos, CA
I am writing to express my concern about the gross ethical violations and rabid corruption within the US Supreme Court. Recent examples, such as the rushed confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett and the blocking of Merrick Garland’s nomination, indicate a clear politicization of the Court. Mitch McConnell has even gone on record saying that stacking the Court with conservatives is his greatest legacy, but the collapse of respect for the Court is his legacy.
The Court has also made decisions that favor the interests of wealthy individuals and corporations at the expense of the environment and public health. For example, Neil Gorsuch effectively gutted the EPA’s ability to regulate power plant emissions and ruled in favor of the auto industry in a case about emissions standards. Samuel Alito’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade shows that he prioritizes his personal beliefs over the rights of women.
Furthermore, the revelations of ethics derelictions by Clarence Thomas are deeply troubling. His billionaire benefactor, Harlan Crow, secretly paid for luxury trips and private school tuition for Thomas’s grandnephew. Additionally, Thomas’s wife, Ginni, was paid by a nonprofit group advised by Leonard Leo, who has close ties to conservative donors and has been instrumental in selecting conservative judges for the Court.
Despite all of this, Chief Justice John Roberts seems unwilling to hold his colleagues accountable. He has even refused to testify before Congress about the Court’s ethics. The fact that his own wife has made millions of dollars as a legal recruiter, placing lawyers at firms with business before the Supreme Court, raises serious questions about conflicts of interest.
These examples suggest that the Supreme Court is not living up to its duty to uphold the law and protect the rights of all Americans. It is crucial that we hold our justices accountable and restore integrity to our highest court.
(This submission has not been edited)