Democrat Senators target Justices with ethics complaints, overlook own conflicts
The Democrats’ Attack on the Supreme Court: A Partisan Agenda
The Democrats’ attack on the Supreme Court has never been about ethics. It’s about trying to destroy the court now that the left no longer controls it. Democrats’ criticism of the court’s recently issued Code of Ethics, which every justice on the court signed, proves this point again. The left’s go-to judicial ethics expert, Professor Stephen Gillers, opined that the code is a “commendable piece of work.”
Unfounded Criticism of the Code
But that’s not good enough for the two Democrats leading the partisan and unprecedented investigation into the court, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. Both senators issued comments critical of the court’s new code, including that it does not have an outside enforcement mechanism to oversee the justices’ compliance. But the Supreme Court is a separate branch specifically established in the Constitution, and it would be unconstitutional for anybody to oversee the justices’ decision-making.
Double Standards and Unethical Actions
Despite Justices Thomas and Alito acting honorably and ethically, Durbin has issued a notice for a meeting this Thursday for the Senate Judiciary Committee to consider sending subpoenas to friends of these justices for information on their friendships. These subpoenas would be constitutionally defective as they are not in support of any legislative purpose.
But what is more astonishing is how these Democrats attack the court for so-called “ethical” transgressions, when both senators themselves have taken unethical official actions to benefit their spouses’ clients.
In 2014, the Chicago Tribune reported that Sen. Durbin personally directed an appropriation earmark of $150,000 to one of his wife’s clients, the American Lung Association. The Tribune details many other grant awards to clients of his wife, a lobbyist, that Durbin announced and took credit for.
Another client, the City of Naperville, ”got plenty of federal funding during the time Loretta Durbin was its state lobbyist,” according to the Tribune story. Robert Marshall, Naperville’s police chief and later acting city manager who sat on the city board that selected Mrs. Durbin’s lobbying firm, said “I looked at it as an advantage” in hiring her firm to represent the city.
In his interview with the Tribune, Sen. Durbin produced a letter from the Senate Ethics Committee which advised Durbin that whether his wife lobbied the Senate would be “left to the ultimate discretion of the Senator and his or her spouse.”
Whitehouse has repeatedly taken official action benefitting the interests of many of his wife’s employers. For example, Whitehouse introduced legislation in 2022 that would require the federal government to remove carbon dioxide from the environment, including the ocean, by entering into contracts with companies that have carbon removal technology.
It is clear that Durbin and Whitehouse have engaged in actions that would have been unlawful under federal recusal laws governing the executive branch and the federal judiciary. However, Congress has refused to enact legislation to cover their own conflicts of interest.
How can the American people hold politicians accountable for their partisan agenda and actions against the Supreme Court’s independence and integrity
Bin-wife-lobbyist-20141004-story.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>according to the Tribune. This is a clear conflict of interest and a violation of ethical standards.
Similarly, Sen. Whitehouse has faced criticism for his wife’s involvement in the controversial Rhode Island public pension case. As reported by National Review, his wife represented the defendants in the case and stood to benefit financially from a settlement favorable to her clients. This raises serious questions about the senator’s impartiality and integrity.
A Partisan Agenda
It is clear that the Democrats’ attack on the Supreme Court is driven by a partisan agenda. They are attempting to undermine the legitimacy of the court and intimidate conservative justices through baseless investigations and unfounded criticism.
Their criticism of the court’s code of ethics is hypocritical, considering their own unethical actions and conflicts of interest. It is evident that they are not interested in upholding ethical standards, but rather in advancing their own political agenda and regaining control over the court.
The Supreme Court is an independent and coequal branch of the government. It should be free from political interference and attacks from partisan politicians. The Democrats’ assault on the court undermines the principles of separation of powers and threatens the integrity of our judicial system.
It is crucial for the American people to recognize the Democrats’ partisan agenda and hold them accountable for their actions. We must protect the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court, as it plays a vital role in safeguarding the Constitution and the rights of all Americans.
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