Republicans Defend Judge Samuel Alito After Another Ethics Bombshell

WASHINGTON- republicans are pushing back on ethics questions surrounding another Supreme Court justice, Samuel Alito, after it was revealed he agreed to a Undisclosed trip of a Republican megadonor who had business before the court.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that Congress should “stay out” of court business after ProPublica reported that conservative justice accepted a luxury fishing vacation from wealthy benefactors.

“I think it’s part of an assault on conservatives because the left doesn’t like their decisions,” added Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

According to the nonprofit investigative journalism organization, Alito took a luxury trip to Alaska in 2008 aboard a private jet chartered by billionaire hedge fund Paul Singer that was organized by Leonard Leo, a leading conservative figure who was then president of the Federalist Society. The trip was not reported on Alito’s financial disclosure forms, and Alito did not recuse himself when Singer’s businesses later ran into trouble in court.

Alito questioned the nature of the report in a highly unusual way. opinion piece published by The Wall Street Journal hours before the ProPublica investigative article was made public. Justice downplayed her relationship with Singer and denied wrongdoing.

Alito said Singer allowed him to “take what otherwise would have been an unoccupied seat on a private flight to Alaska,” describing his stay in $1,000-a-day accommodation as a “modest” one-room unit where he ate meals that they were “home style”. fee.” He also said that he was unaware that Singer was part of any case brought before the court, even though the US media reported her involvement in some of the deals at the time, according to ProPublica.

Republican senators also downplayed Alito’s involvement with Singer on Wednesday.

“I thought your answer was accurate and to the point,” said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah). “If he knew Singer had a business and Singer’s name was associated with him, then he might have considered recusing himself, but he had no way of knowing that Singer was associated with any matter before the court.”

Sen. Mike Rounds (RS.D.) said it’s easy for members of Congress to question Alito’s actions “15 years after” the trip.

“I think we should respect the fact that they are a separate branch and allow (Chief Justice John Roberts) to set the best path forward,” Rounds said.

ProPublica’s report comes amid growing calls for ethics reform in the Supreme Court following revelations about similar lavish trips abroad by Justice Clarence Thomas. Earlier this year, ProPublica detailed decades of lavish travel Thomas took with billionaire Harlan Crow, who paid the bills for trips that included private jets and a yacht, and a real estate deal in which Raven bought property from justice and his family. Thomas’s mother still lives rent-free in one of the houses Crow bought.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced Wednesday that his committee would move forward with legislation to impose more stringent ethical standards for the court after lawmakers return from their July 4 recess.

“To think that a judge on the court, who is supposedly an academic and so knowledgeable, makes such weak arguments, I think it’s a real surprise,” Durbin said, criticizing the way Alito downplayed the trip in his Op-Ed Wall Street Journal. .

“Chief Justice Roberts could resolve this issue this afternoon. He could establish a code of conduct on the responsibilities of his magistrates to disclose everything and be done with it, ”added the senator.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), another member of the Judiciary Committee, was even more blunt, calling the ProPublica report “absolutely abhorrent.”

“He doesn’t feel remorse or shame that maybe someone has the right to question him. It seems like a very smug and superior attitude that indicates that he believes that he is not accountable to anyone,” Blumenthal added of Alito.

He democratsThe ethics proposal calls for establishing a code of conduct applicable to the Supreme Court, which exists for lower-ranking members of the federal judiciary. It would also require more stringent disclosure and transparency requirements. Only one Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, has shown interest in requiring the court to establish a code of ethics.

Sen. Thom Tillis (RN.C.) said Wednesday that the Supreme Court “should probably” consider raising its ethics standards given declining public support for the institution, though he left it up to the court to do so ultimately.

“It would be useful to know which of the nine justices opposes even having that discussion. I heard it requires unanimous consent,” Tillis told HuffPost.

“I think you would do well to go and take a look at public perceptions and acknowledge, even if you don’t think it’s going to change any specific future behavior of the court, that people are raising legitimate questions, and it could be resolved by them moving forward. with their own self-enforced ethical standards,” he added.