Justice Sotomayor’s Book Sales Involved Taxpayer-Funded Court Staff

Taxpayer-Funded Staff of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Boost Book Sales

A detailed report reveals that taxpayer-funded staff of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor have actively collaborated with schools and libraries to enhance her book sales.

The Associated Press reports that Sotomayor has earned a staggering $3.7 million from book sales since joining the court in 2009, with $400,000 of that amount coming in since 2019 from sales of her children’s books.

Unlike other branches of government, the Supreme Court lacks a formal code of ethical conduct, allowing taxpayer-funded staff to engage in such activities.

“This is one of the most basic tenets of ethics laws that protects taxpayer dollars from misuse,” said Kedric Payne, a former deputy chief counsel at the Office of Congressional Ethics and current general counsel for the Campaign Legal Center.

“The problem at the Supreme Court is there’s no one there to say whether this is wrong,” Payne added.

The report highlights a specific incident in 2019, where Sotomayor’s aide Anh Le promoted book sales before an event sponsored by Portland Community College and the Multnomah County Library in Oregon.

Although the event was free, Le encouraged attendees to purchase books to meet Sotomayor. In an email to library and college staff, Le wrote, “Please also let them know that they can attend the signing line to meet the Justice even if they are not able to attend the event.”

Similar conversations were reported before appearances at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Wisconsin.

The Multnomah County Library defended itself by stating that a local independent bookseller made books available for purchase at the event.

The Supreme Court issued a statement clarifying that chambers staff assist the Justices in complying with judicial ethics guidance for visits and publications. The statement emphasized that attendees should not be required to purchase books to attend events.

Recent reports have also alleged that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have accepted gifts from individuals with interests before the court, prompting the Senate Judiciary Committee to consider the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act.

“Whether you agree or disagree with the most recent historic decisions by the Supreme Court, we hope we can all agree on one thing — these nine justices have extraordinary powers under our Constitution,” Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Dick Durbin of Illinois said.

“The belief that they should not be held accountable or even disclose lavish gifts from wealthy benefactors is an affront to the nation they were chosen to serve. To hold these nine Justices to the same standard as every other federal judge is not a radical or partisan notion. Since the Court won’t act, Congress will.”

For more information, read the full article: Ethics Alert: Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor Used Taxpayer-Funded Court Staff to Sell Her Book.