NonilexJun 15, 2024

…the #judiciary is an equal branch of #government & congressional #Democrats have limited opportunities to enact concrete changes.…

#Republicans, who control the #House, oppose legislation to tighten ethical guidelines for the justices & have portrayed overhaul as a political effort to damage the legitimacy of a #conservative #SCOTUS that has delivered them major victories on #abortion & other issues [+ they worked decades to install this court].

#law
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/15/supreme-court-alito-thomas-democrats/

Democrats divided over Supreme Court controversies as decisions loom

Liberals say a string of revelations about Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. raise questions about his ability to rule impartially on Jan. 6-related cases.

The Washington Post
Show threadNonilex

Alex Aronson, exec dir of the oversight group #CourtAccountability, said in a stmnt that #Senate #Judiciary Chairman Dick #Durbin (D-IL) has taken a less confrontational approach on the ethics controversies because he has wanted to speed through the appointment of #liberal #judges to lower courts, so he has tried not to ruffle the feathers of #Republicans who could hold up that process.

#SCOTUS #ethics #law

Jun 15, 2024 at 1:48pmWeb
Show threadNonilexJun 15, 2024

Aronson applauded #Durbin for confirming over 200 of President #Biden’s nominees to the federal bench & for taking actions in recent days, but said Durbin could still do more. A group of 6 Senate #Republicans announced Thurs that they would no longer fast-track any Biden judicial nominees in response to the #criminal prosecutions of #Trump.

#SCOTUS #ethics #law

Show threadNonilexJun 15, 2024

“The importance of confirming judges is no excuse for his failure to exercise his committee’s #oversight authority to investigate the most serious #ethics & #corruption scandals in #SupremeCourt history, especially when the few judges #Durbin hopes to confirm before November would inevitably see their rulings shredded by the Court’s captured #RightWing #supermajority in service to its #billionaire backers,” Aronson said.

#SCOTUS #law

Show threadNonilexJun 15, 2024
#Durbin appeared to make a nod to the bubbling concerns of his left flank Wed by attempting to expedite passage of the #SupremeCourt #Ethics, #Recusal, & #Transparency ( #SCERT) Act. The bill would require the court to adopt a binding code of ethics & establish a mechanism to investigate alleged #violations among other changes.

#SCOTUS adopted a new ethics code in Nov, but #Democrats complain it is toothless because it does not have an #enforcement mechanism. [+ justices aren’t adhering to it]
Show threadNonilexJun 15, 2024

A unanimous consent vote, a largely symbolic effort since it only required a single #Republican to block the measure, was scuttled by Sen. #LindseyGraham (R-SC), who also sits on the #Judiciary Cmte. Graham said the bill threatened the independence of the judiciary.

“Let’s be clear, this is not about improving the court, this is about undermining the court,” Graham said. “This would be an unconstitutional overreach.” [←false]

#SCOTUS #law #ethics

Show threadNonilexJun 15, 2024

#Durbin also announced action on another #oversight issue, which pleased progressive activists including Aronson. The #Judiciary Cmte had issued subpoenas for #Texas #billionaire #HarlanCrow & #conservative activist #LeonardLeo in Nov related to their interactions w/the justices, but had not enforced them. The Cmte reached a deal w/Crow on Thurs in which he disclosed he paid for an additional 3 trips on a private jet by #ClarenceThomas.

#law #SCOTUS #ethics

Show threadNonilexJun 15, 2024

The move came one day after #Democrats on the #House Oversight & #Accountability Cmte held a hearing, hoping to build momentum for action on #SCOTUS #ethics.

Reps #JamieRaskin & Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez #AOC took turns blistering #conservatives on the court Wed, citing their acceptance of unreported travel, tuition for relatives & other perks.

Raskin & Ocasio-Cortez announced they would introduce #legislation limiting gifts to justices to $50, the same cap that applies to #Congress.

#law

Show threadTheDarcBirdJun 15, 2024

@Nonilex

I wish Lindsay (sic) Graham could be voted out.

Show threadArtemesiaJun 15, 2024

@Nonilex

That's nice. If you think a supreme court ethics bill is going to get past a magat House, I have a few nice properties right on the Washington Mall to sell you. Meanwhile, get those judges confirmed. That's real and effective action that lasts for decades.

Show threadArtemesiaJun 15, 2024

@Nonilex

"but said Durbin could still do more"

Ok, I'll bite. What is the "more" that he should do?

Show threadArena Cops 🇺🇦✌Jun 15, 2024

@Nonilex Unsurprisingly the convicted felon's Trump-election golf club, formerly calling themselves "Republicans", is doing all it can to prove its lawlessness & disorder by obstructing United States judiciary in service of obstructing justice overdue to be brought to their convicted criminal mob boss.

#RuleOfLaw #GOP #ObstructionOfJustice #Law #Trump #OrganizedCrime #CriminalNetwork #Racketeering #MobBoss #MobbedUp

Show threadKevin LeecasterJun 15, 2024
@Nonilex
Good, effective politicians have to choose their political battles carefully and weigh when and what to make a stand on while keeping their eye on what moves the country in, what in their and their constituents' opinion, is the best direction.