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[1/2] U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas poses during a group portrait at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., October 7, 2022. Durbin said the "undisclosed, forgiven" loan demonstrates the need for a binding code of conduct for the court. The documents showed that Welters forgave the loan in 2008, according to the findings. The Senate Judiciary Committee in July approved a Democratic-backed bill that would mandate a binding ethics code for the justices. Thomas and Welters did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Evelyn Hockstein, Thomas, Anthony Welters, Dick Durbin, Durbin, Welters, Ron Wyden, Elliot Berke, Berke, Harlan Crow, Steven Lubet, Lubet, Stephen Gillers, Andrew Chung, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, REUTERS, Rights, Welters, Democratic, hobnobbing, Senate, New York Times, Texas, Crow, Northwestern University, New York University, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, New York, Washington

☆ Opinion: Trump and the upside-down world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. CNN —The title on the cover of Cass R. Sunstein’s 2021 book, “This is not normal,” is printed upside down. The beginning of a Trump-backed House Republican inquiry into impeaching President Joe Biden with no clear evidence of his wrongdoing. A last-ditch move Saturday kept federal agencies funded for 45 days while putting more aid to Ukraine in jeopardy. Bill Bramhall/Tribune Content AgencyOn Monday, a New York judge found Trump and his adult sons liable for insurance and bank fraud and canceled the Trump Organization’s business certification.

Persons: Cass R, ” Sunstein, Ronald Reagan, “ Donald Duck, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, “, ”, Kevin McCarthy’s, Clay Jones, Mike Lawler, Rosa Cruz, Rob Rosenthal, Brian Riedl, Walt Handelsman, Biden, MAGA, John Avlon, ’, Bill Bramhall, Frida Ghitis, —, Ghitis, Phil Hands, Julian Zelizer, Steven Lubet, Judge Chutkan, Dean Obeidallah, Menendez, Hal Boyd, Sen, Tim Scott, Ron DeSantis, Scott, ” Scott, Lyndon, “ you’ve, ” Jeff Yang, Chris Christie’s, ‘, Donald Duck ’, Mike Pence’s, Walter Mondale, Nikki Haley’s, South Carolina Sen, Vivek Ramaswamy, TikTok, whittling, Haley, ” Sophia Nelson, ” Lisa Benson, GoComics.com, James Antle III, Todd Graham, David Axelrod, Musa al, Republicans –, –, Nick Anderson, Agency Cassidy, Evelyn Hockstein, Cassidy Hutchinson, Nicole Hemmer, Hutchinson, …, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Liz Cheney, Alexander Butterfield, Melissa S, Jason L, Riley, Jill Filipovic’s, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Peter Bergen, Kennedy, Vladimir Putin, Brian Bowen Smith, ABC Gerry Turner, Deborah Carr, Gerry Turner, Turner, ” Don’t, Jill Filipovic, Dianne Feinstein, Matthew F, West Point Vincent, David A, Adam Larson, Michael D, Smith, Travis, Taylor Dana Summers, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, ” Rick Reilly, Colgate, Tay, Frankie de la, it’s Organizations: CNN, Republican, Ronald Reagan Presidential, Trump, Chiefs, Department of Labor, Wesleyan University, Agency, MAGA Republican, Pew Research Center, NBC, Republicans, GOP, “, Florida Gov, New, New Jersey Gov, Democratic, UAW, Tribune, White House, Legislative Affairs, White, Street, ” RFK, ABC, Chicago, Corps, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Washington Post, NFL Locations: Milwaukee, Simi Valley , California, Ukraine, New York, Washington, Tempe , Arizona, New Jersey, Cupp, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Gharbi, West Point

☆ Opinion: Why Trump’s January 6 defense is even worse than it seems
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Anna Lee | Opinion Steven Lubet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Given that, Trump’s lawyers may well advise him to stay off the witness stand and avoid the risks of cross examination — but demure silence is hardly in his nature. In Trump’s cross examination, however, the prosecutors would be able to confront him with his false statements one after another, seamlessly telling their entire story of Trump’s duplicity in his own words. The lawyers, some of whom have been identified as unindicted co-conspirators, could assert the Fifth Amendment for themselves, but that would just undermine Trump’s defense. Even assuming there are still employees willing to stand by him, however, Trump’s cronies would not exactly be the most convincing witnesses. Although there would be a hearsay exception for statements showing Trump’s “state of mind,” that would only allow the witnesses to testify to Trump’s actual words.

Persons: Steven Lubet, Williams, Donald Trump, Trump, ” Steven Lubet Randy Belice, John Lauro, “, ”, general’s, Mike Pence’s, Jean Carroll’s, Lauro, —, John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Pence, confidentially, Trump’s Organizations: Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, CNN, NBC, New, NPR, Twitter, Facebook, White House, Trump Locations: Washington, United States, Northwestern, New York, Georgia, Trump’s “

☆ Opinion: Mitch McConnell’s confidence is being put to the test
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. Not to worry, said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a veteran of debt limit battles. McConnell’s reassurance that all will work out in the end is validated by history, but that doesn’t mean this time couldn’t be different. “If female voters are key to a Donald Trump victory in 2024, the former president should be in big trouble – but he doesn’t seem to care,” Jill Filipovic observed. “The town hall audience – selected on the basis of their intention to vote in the Republican primary in New Hampshire – appeared to be made up mostly of Trump fans.

☆ Opinion: Clarence Thomas’ inability to fill out forms properly defies belief
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Opinion Steven Lubet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has had to explain decades of omissions on his annual financial reports. As a Supreme Court justice, Thomas routinely interprets complex statutes that affect millions of Americans, priding himself on close adherence to the text. It beggars belief that he could repeatedly misinterpret plain statutory requirements and simple instructions on his annual disclosure reports. Supreme Court justices have life tenure. That is why full compliance with financial disclosure laws is so important, and why Thomas’ evasiveness is so wrong.

☆ Clarence Thomas' wife Ginni was paid nearly $100,000 for 'consulting' by a nonprofit that ended up filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A conservative activist helped Ginni Thomas rake in nearly $100,000 for consulting, The Washington Post reported. Conservative lawyer Leonard Leo reportedly ensured Ginni Thomas' name was kept off the paperwork. Leo's nonprofit filed an amicus brief before the Supreme Court that same year. Ginni Thomas has previously courted controversy with her public, pro-Trump activities, and other conservative activism. Neither Ginni Thomas, nor a representative for the Supreme Court immediately responded to Insider's request for comment.

On that unredacted form, Kacsmaryk reported owning about $2.9 million in stock in the Florida-based supermarket company Publix. Federal judges are only required to report financial holdings in ranges, and don’t have to provide exact figures. One possible source of the Publix stock Kacsmaryk reported in 2017 is the judge’s grandmother. In 2020 and 2021, less than 4% of officials required to file judicial financial disclosures requested redaction, according to reports from the Administrative Office of the US Courts. In any case, experts said, the judge’s redacted report prevents transparency that litigants deserve.

April 7 (Reuters) - The federal judge who on Friday suspended approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is a former Christian legal activist whose small courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, has become a go-to destination for conservatives challenging Biden administration policies. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump, had a long track record of opposing abortion and LGBTQ rights before the U.S. Senate confirmed him in 2019 to a life-tenured position as a federal judge. FAVORED VENUESince then, his courthouse has become a favored venue for conservative legal activists and Republican state attorneys general pursuing lawsuits seeking to halt aspects of Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda - often with success. In October, Kacsmaryk vacated Biden administration guidance requiring employers to allow transgender workers to dress and use bathrooms consistent with their gender identities. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Bill Berkrot and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Pool via REUTERSApril 8 (Reuters) - The federal judge who on Friday suspended approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is a former Christian legal activist whose small courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, has become a go-to destination for conservatives challenging Biden administration policies. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump, had a long track record of opposing abortion and LGBTQ rights before the U.S. Senate confirmed him in 2019 to a life-tenured position as a federal judge. When anti-abortion groups in November filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's more than two-decade old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, they filed in Amarillo, guaranteeing the case would be heard by Kacsmaryk. FAVORED VENUESince then, his courthouse has become a favored venue for conservative legal activists and Republican state attorneys general pursuing lawsuits seeking to halt aspects of Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda - often with success. While the district's chief judge could order cases be reallocated, he has not.

"It's judge shopping on steroids," said Sarah Lipton-Lubet, executive director of the progressive legal advocacy group Take Back the Court. The Biden administration has called the lawsuit "unprecedented" and urged Kacsmaryk to not deprive women of a long-approved safe and effective drug. At least eight have led to rulings blocking Biden policies, with several more pending. The chief judges of Texas federal courts have the authority to reallocate cases to other judges, but have largely not done so, he said. Absent a change, litigants have every right to take advantage of that structure to seek a favorable judge, he said.

☆ Progressives blast Supreme Court over secret payments of at least $1 million to the ex-Bush official who reviewed the leak investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Supreme Court failed to disclose its past relationship with Michael Chertoff, CNN reported. Chertoff, a security consultant, recently reviewed the court's internal leak investigation. The firm also assessed COVID-19 practices at the court, CNN reported. The hidden payments come as progressive groups, congressional lawmakers, court observers, and ethics advocates demand greater financial transparency at the Supreme Court, which is not required by law to disclose its contracts. A spokesperson for Chertoff declined to comment and referred Insider to the Supreme Court's public information office for questions.

WASHINGTON — The conservative-majority Supreme Court left its imprint on the 2022 elections, galvanizing Democrats with decisions on guns and abortion and potentially aiding Republicans with election rulings. For decades, it was the Republican Party that benefited from conservative anger over the Supreme Court's original ruling in Roe v. Wade. Using the new map, Republicans won five of the six districts Tuesday. Under the newly drawn map, Republicans won 20 of 28 seats. The Supreme Court's 2019 ruling said partisan gerrymandering claims could not be adjudicated by federal courts.

☆ Trump support for Jan. 6 rioters is bad. But another former president was worse.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Steven Lubet | Steven Lubet Is The Williams Memorial Professor At The Northwestern University Pritzker School Of Law. His Most Recent Book Is | The Trials Of Rasmea Odeh | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

He likely has encouraged future insurrections by vowing to pardon the rioters who sacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. During Tyler’s presidency, the Whigs actually expelled him from the party when he violated Whig principles. Tyler, like Trump, was a somewhat unexpected president who didn’t originally belong to the party that elected him. But Harrison died one month after his inauguration, making Tyler the first vice president to succeed to the presidency. Like Trump, Tyler had little respect for the party establishment that put him in power.

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