Hill
Robert ReichGifts to Supreme Court justices shouldn’t just be “disclosed.” They should be banned, outright. This should not be a radical position.
Glenn@rbreich Alito says the ProPublica articles are misleading. The fact that he is receiving gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in no way influences his decisions in the court. Which is true, he was already in the collective pocket of the rich and elite.
LizG@glennsills @rbreich he can say that; we don't have to believe him
Evannakita@glennsills @rbreich Honestly, I figure a fair demand to him is to prove it. If he’s gonna say that, he should be able to back it up with evidence. And if he *can’t* prove it, then he’s admitting he should have recused himself.
Kevin Leecaster@rbreich Senator Terrible attempt to gotcha the Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, delivers opening remarks in a hearing entitled, “Ensuring an Impartial Judiciary: Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023.” https://youtu.be/0gmzSyXwOng
Sen. Whitehouse Opens Courts Subcommittee Hearing on His Comprehensive Supreme Court Ethics Bill
Grandpa Don@rbreich
When I was working as a contractor for a DoD prime, some military reps visited to look at a prototype. We all went to dinner. The customer's people and my colleagues and I drove to restaurant. The gov't employees called a cab rather than ride with any of us.
When I was working as a contractor for a DoD prime, some military reps visited to look at a prototype. We all went to dinner. The customer's people and my colleagues and I drove to restaurant. The gov't employees called a cab rather than ride with any of us.
Ursidinoj/The Bjornsdottirs@rbreich I mean, I agree, although I fear this could cause dissension in the families of people who become justices. Such concerns should not get in the way of implementing anti-corruption policies, however.
Renée@ellenor2000 oh no, those families would have to live with loved ones who would be subject to the exact same rules as every single of the 300k+ federal government employees, how ever will they manage
@rbreich
@rbreich
@reneestephen @rbreich the same way all the other 0.1%ers manage.
It's just... a thing which has me looking edgeways, for all of them (the justices and judges should be subject to the more stringent ethics, tbh)
MyOpinion@rbreich Supreme Court justices should be held to the highest standard. There should be no gifts at all to these judges.
Steve Popovich@rbreich you are so right! Simple disclosure does no good, since in practice SCOTUS justices are immune to any blowback with their lifetime appointments. Taking "gifts" aka bribes as a SCOTUS justice should be cause for removal from the Court...and should NOT need to go through the inherently partisan impeachment process to take effect.
Sterling Baldwin@rbreich like "gifts" to presidents are explicitly banned? How did that work out with that last guy?
Andreas K@lbSterling @rbreich
It is being followed up.
Considering that the last guy was a habitual criminal, it's quite possible that he won't be prosecuted on those specific issues, others taking priority.
@lbSterling Even if poorly enforced in recent times, the rule exists and for good reason, and should have been. The fact that it wasn't doesn't invalidate it, it just speaks to procedural problems wrt follow-up.
@reneestephen @rbreich ya as soon as I wrote my snarky response I realized I was just trying to be a smart ass. I strongly agree the supreme court needs better ethics rules with a real enforcement mechanism.
kirkiscool@rbreich things you'll never hear a Supreme Court justice say "I hope they dont find out"
cohomology is FUN!@rbreich I used to be a professor at a state university. We would get free (mostly unsolicited) copies of textbooks from publishers. State government policy forbade us from selling the books.
C0ppertop@rbreich they shouldn’t be lifetime positions either. Ten years term max.
arrbeejay
Do NOT Fear|🇺🇸🇺🇦🐊🦉🌊💙@rbreich Being a SCOTUS justice would be a horrible job if it meant you literally couldn't accept gifts from anyone (since everyone in a US jurisdiction is a SCOTUS stakeholder). Recall that per Federal regulations what constitutes a gift is extremely broad. Even a car dealership offering you discount during negotiations would be a gift. Clarence Thomas lied & disclosure is the way to go; let's not get carried away just to get ppl hyped up
Ron DeSantis's BDE
TobiWanKenobiIt's a radical position because you voice it against the oligarchy of capitalists. They, who own all the money and thus power, see it as their natural right to buy out whoever they want so they can keep ruling things as they see fit.
Within that sort of mindset, the idea of ethical integrity naturally sounds radical.
Harry Callahan@rbreich EXACTLY!!!!
Stargeezer Smith@rbreich
I'm so disappointed that some Justices are so easily coerced.
I worked decades for the government, and I and my associates could easily see through the efforts of contractors seeking new contracts by trying to befriend us or offer gratuities whenever we happened to be in position to consider new contracts.
That was a turn off for us, because it made us think that they may be offering a flawed product or service, and using coercion to misdirect from that. It's not rocket science.
Benny Powers 🇨🇦️🇮🇱️@rbreich I'm curious what your position is on Israeli judicial reform
Dave@rbreich I agree. But even if such gifts were banned how likely is it that a justice would ever be impeached? Unfortunately we, the people, are stuck with corrupt justices unless the Constitution is amended to limit their terms.
Walter Dunham Ll.B.@rbreich I work for a for-profit company and we aren’t allowed to accept gifts above a certain amount (under 100 euros), nor do I feel comfortable accepting gifts above that price. It is very strange that I hold myself to a stricter moral standard that a friggin’ Supreme Court Justice, that is absolutely insane to me. They are supposed to be chosen to be of an unimpeachable high standard. Wtf..?
BlueDotAZ@rbreich Enough already. Someone needs to pass a law that says ALL fed employees, regardless of branch, need to follow the same rules as the rest of us government worker plebes. To wit: If you accept any gift over $25.00 in value, you will be immediately let go. Period. If I, on my paltry salary, need to abide by these rules, EVERYONE in government should also do the same.
Dragna@rbreich the amount of fear they instilled in my wife as a veterinarian for the USDA about accepting gifts in excess of $50 from employees of processing plants she supervised feels really outsized now.
Waterluvian@rbreich Never pay any civil servant less than their level of power necessitates, or corruption will take hold more easily.
280k is peanuts when you think of what you get in the private sector. And these justices are in it for life.
Politicians are much the same. Corruption is their real career revenue stream.
@rbreich How about a succulent. Those are nice. I bet the supreme court justices have desks or bookshelves in their offices those would look nice on.
sOlOw-NHThe Christo fascist playbook. Control the Courts.
J.H.Noyes
Pete@noyes @rbreich Democrats and progressives aren’t saints in all cases (see Gore Vidal’s views on this), but the naked corruption and hypocrisy of today’s GOP are stunningly jaw-dropping. It’s beyond the Pale (and its worth your time to investigate the origins of that phrase). @rbreich , you remain a steadfast beacon of what Progressivism should be. - Peace
Matt@rbreich not sure if it’s radical, but it is bluntly worded to the point of being unreasonable. You were a Cabinet member of the U.S. Government. Anyone ever give you a gift then? Anything at all? Even from friends and family?
antipode77https://www.propublica.org/article/samuel-alito-luxury-fishing-trip-paul-singer-scotus-supreme-court
It details the conservative justice’s relationship with billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Singer, including their trip to an Alaskan fishing resort in 2008. According to the story, Singer — whose hedge fund subsequently came before the court 10 times in various business disputes — flew Alito to the resort on his private jet, a trip ProPublica reported would have cost Alito more than $100,000 one way if he had chartered the jet on his own.
Justice Samuel Alito Took Luxury Fishing Vacation With GOP Billionaire Who Later Had Cases Before the Court
In the years after the undisclosed trip to Alaska, Republican megadonor Paul Singer’s hedge fund has repeatedly had business before the Supreme Court. Alito has never recused himself.
waldi@rbreich I'm glad that here it is even a felony for any judge or public servant to accept such benefits if they are in any way connected to the job.
Reiner Jung 🇬🇱 🇺🇦 🇪🇺@rbreich scotus seats should be limited to 5/10 years, no gifts as it should be the case for all public servants, and only a 2/3 majority in the house could elect someone.