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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJustice Gorsuch Under Fire For Trump Hotel Speech
Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch was under fire Thursday as he prepared to deliver a speech at a Washington hotel owned by US President Donald Trump, who appointed him to the bench.
Denouncing it as a conflict of interest and apparent display of political support, which is prohibited by the Constitution, activists, lawyers and academics have unsuccessfully sought the cancellation of Gorsuch's speech at a luncheon at the Trump International Hotel.
Justices at the US Supreme Court may participate in events organized by institutes with clear political stances -- such as the conservative Fund for American Studies which organized Thursday's lunch -- but for critics, the fact that Gorsuch is a featured speaker at Trump's hotel raises ethical issues.
Although the confirmation process for Supreme Court justices is extremely political, the court's members are required to follow a code of conduct that prohibits them from expressing their political preferences.
http://www.nationalmemo.com/justice-gorsuch-fire-trump-hotel-speech/
This jerk really has no business having on a black robe on any bench, especially in a court room
HipChick
(25,485 posts)hlthe2b
(101,705 posts)Blues Heron
(5,898 posts)what a fraud.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)NOW!!!! He's illegitimate, and whatever small piece of legitimacy he might have had has been killed by this latest move.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)Sadly, he's only 49. We have 30 or 40 years to go of the corrupt, vain hypocrite.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)We can apply massive pressure to get him to step down. This should be a part of our platform.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)can do. They aren't bound by rules for other lawyers or jurist. He doesn't care about pressure, he is there for life. He will just give the metaphorical middle finger & twist the knife more. This really has been MM & DTs biggest achievement.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)The major problem right now is that there is so much else going on that no one is watching the SCOTUS. When things return to normal, I think people are going to start questioning the integrity of the SCOTUS because of Gorsuch. I mean, there have been articles about its integrity already, but they are overshadowed by hurricanes and NFL players taking a knee. I really want to believe that, if Gorsuch was made a top news story, CO disbarred him, and he was going to be impeached, then maybe he would step down.
Again, wishful thinking and I'm not holding my breath. These are possibilities, but I do certainly understand they are very, very remote.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)that the Republicans in Congress haven't done anything, and they are mad at MM. Let them throw the bastards out. They are too dumb to know that MM, who of course, makes me ill, handed them Gorsuch, pretty much on a silver plater...MM already gave them the big prize.
maxrandb
(15,188 posts)they kill the filibuster, add 3 more seats to the Supreme Court, and the Dem President appoints judges that will give Lindsay Graham the vapors.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)by the Fund for American Studies (TFAS), an untraconservative group funded by the Koch brothers and dark-money organization Donors Trust.
For 5 decades TFAS has been working to develop new leaders who share an ultraconservative/libertarian view of the constitution and government. When people like the Kochs say that only a small amount of their political activity is invested in elections, this is a big part of the kind of "other" activity they mean. TFAS approved people are helped to eventually gain important positions in institutions of all sorts across the nation. TFAS also belongs to the State Policy Network, an umbrella organization heading a web of ultraconservative think tanks and other tax-exempt organizations also across the nation. Reportedly it's funded by the same people who fund ALEC.
So these are the people Gorsuch is at the Trump hotel to honor. For sure he owes them a lot, like his seat on the court.
Gorsuch, confirmed to the Court earlier this year, has other ties to the Kochs. The brothers helped wage a sustained campaign to ensure Gorsuch made his way to the highest court in the land.
Concerned Veterans for America (CVA), a Koch group, launched a digital campaign in February urging senators to confirm Gorsuch. Though Charles and David Koch did not activate their vast political machine in support of Trump during the presidential election, Trump nevertheless tapped CVA to work on veterans issues after he won. The Koch group estimated it had made more than 250,000 calls to supporters in 11 states to accomplish its goal of confirming Gorsuch to the Court, according to the conservative National Review.
The Kochs also help fund the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization of which Gorsuch was a member and that worked to ensure he was confirmed to the Supreme Court.
https://rewire.news/article/2017/09/05/gorsuchs-speak-trump-tower/
Initech
(99,909 posts)And there is a special place in hell reserved just for them!
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, then Texas's AG, to change the law so citizens could no longer find out if dangerous chemicals were being stored in their neighborhoods. Texas has NO zoning controls, a lot are, and what was where was formerly public record.
That this Koch was a grandson is just something I happened to read. I'm sure he and others are similarly busy today. Koch Industries officially operates in only 36 or so states (and 50 or socountries), but their interests seem to extend to all, such as interfering in local bond issues for improving public transportation, zoos, etc.
Btw, what's the connection between obliging the Kochs and Gov. Abbott's current position? Or with the prompt and adequate federal aid Texas got after Harvey? Abbott's up for reelection in 2018 and there's talk about a run for president in 2020.
I'd say waiting for death to rid us of these people would be a bad mistake.
Initech
(99,909 posts)We can talk about getting out the vote in 2018, 2020, 2022, all we want. The fact of the matter is that the fucking Koch Tea Party has done more damage to our government than we can fathom. I think there's only going to be one of 3 ways out of this - war, a full on revolt, or an uprising. None of which would have a good outcome.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)PJMcK
(21,916 posts)It should read, "This jerk really should really wear his white robe and hood."
turbinetree
(24,631 posts)Sen. Walter Sobchak
(8,692 posts)dalton99a
(81,065 posts)Initech
(99,909 posts)raven mad
(4,940 posts)Is one while he's carrying this:
DFW
(54,048 posts)He has conformed without deviation to those expectations.
Mc Mike
(9,106 posts)HAB911
(8,811 posts)can we do that?
spanone
(135,632 posts)Eliot Rosewater
(31,096 posts)never, not once, follow the law or constitution, he will solely do what the corporate overlords want.