The list of gifts and hospitality Justice Clarence Thomas has received from wealthy friends is more extensive than previously known, according to a new ProPublica report.
This isn’t about breaking laws, it’s about breaching ethical standards. Federal judges all agree to a code of ethics as a condition of being on the bench. SCOTUS justices weirdly do NOT agree to a code of ethics. The controversy is that we are learning about a ton of stuff that is plainly unethical under the standards federal judges agree to, but SCOTUS is technically untouchable. Democrats are advancing legislation to force them to agree to ethical standards, but SCOTUS is arguing that Congress doesn’t have the power to force them. They are also unwilling to voluntarily agree to a standard of ethics for obvious reasons.
Their code is useless unless it can be enforced by one of the other branches. Judges all agreeing to not be shit while crossing their fingers behind their back does us no good.
It doesn’t matter if they agree with it or not, it is the duty of our elected officials to remove them when they accept bribes or engaging bad behavior:
Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United States of America lays it out, allowing for the removal of "the President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States […] on Impeachment for and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Article III, Section 1 gives us a little more insight:
“The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.”
The problem is that our elected officials are engaged in the same bribery as the SCOTUS, therefore they are ignoring their duty to remove judges accepting bribery. If the entire system is ignoring ethics and the needs of the people, then the entire system must be rebuilt. Thomas Jefferson and other forefathers considered it the duty of the people to rebuild the government as needed. I don’t think they envisioned the behemoth the government would become, and the radical divide between the people and their government.
This isn’t about breaking laws, it’s about breaching ethical standards. Federal judges all agree to a code of ethics as a condition of being on the bench. SCOTUS justices weirdly do NOT agree to a code of ethics. The controversy is that we are learning about a ton of stuff that is plainly unethical under the standards federal judges agree to, but SCOTUS is technically untouchable. Democrats are advancing legislation to force them to agree to ethical standards, but SCOTUS is arguing that Congress doesn’t have the power to force them. They are also unwilling to voluntarily agree to a standard of ethics for obvious reasons.
Their code is useless unless it can be enforced by one of the other branches. Judges all agreeing to not be shit while crossing their fingers behind their back does us no good.
It doesn’t matter if they agree with it or not, it is the duty of our elected officials to remove them when they accept bribes or engaging bad behavior:
Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United States of America lays it out, allowing for the removal of "the President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States […] on Impeachment for and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Article III, Section 1 gives us a little more insight:
“The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.”
The problem is that our elected officials are engaged in the same bribery as the SCOTUS, therefore they are ignoring their duty to remove judges accepting bribery. If the entire system is ignoring ethics and the needs of the people, then the entire system must be rebuilt. Thomas Jefferson and other forefathers considered it the duty of the people to rebuild the government as needed. I don’t think they envisioned the behemoth the government would become, and the radical divide between the people and their government.