Anyone not supremely disappointed by reporting recently on what will be generously labeled the massive, ethical lapses of Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito should reconsider and a good place to get back on the right track is this guest essay, Does The Supreme Court Realize How Bad It Smells?, in the New York Times by U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor. Here's a summary of Judge Ponsor's concerns:
The recent descriptions of the behavior of some of our justices and particularly their attempts to defend their conduct have not just raised my eyebrows; they’ve raised the whole top of my head. Lavish, no-cost vacations? Hypertechnical arguments about how a free private airplane flight is a kind of facility? A justice’s spouse prominently involved in advocating on issues before the court without the justice’s recusal? Repeated omissions in mandatory financial disclosure statements brushed under the rug as inadvertent? A justice’s taxpayer-financed staff reportedly helping to promote her books? Private school tuition for a justice’s family member covered by a wealthy benefactor? Wow.
The worst offenders by far have been Thomas and Alito, but they are not alone. Ladies and gentlemen, that's not how it's done.
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