On Thursday, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) accused the GOP of ignoring the affluent benefactors behind luxury gifts presented to Supreme Court justices.
What Happened: Raskin voiced his criticism during the House Oversight Committee hearing, which was focused on examining litigation funding, The Hill reported.
Despite the hearing’s central aim to investigate allegations of left-wing activists bankrolling lawsuits to sway policy decisions, Raskin emphasized the scrutiny Supreme Court Justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, are under for accepting lavish gifts and benefits.
The Democrat condemned the massive expenditures by billionaires to manipulate Supreme Court decisions, declaring, “Americans see the personal gifts to justices from right-wing billionaires sugar daddies like Harlan Crow, and Federalist Society dark money expenditures are fundamentally perverting judicial ethics and undermining justice and the rule of law.”
Raskin also indicated a sense of irony in the GOP spearheading this hearing, given their seeming indifference to the ethical dilemmas surrounding the Supreme Court justices.
Why It Matters: The two justices have been at the center of controversy due to revelations of billionaires financing their private jet trips, holidays, and luxury experiences.
This led to a multitude of appeals, mostly from Democrats, urging the implementation of ethical regulations for the Supreme Court.
During his nearly 10-minute opening statement, Raskin stood with signs held up by his staff, displaying photos of Thomas and Alito. He raised questions about whether the hearing was intended as a diversion from former President Donald Trump‘s legal challenges and why Republicans were not prioritizing Supreme Court ethics.
"Everyone knows that a fish rots from the head down, and everyone knows what stinks to the heavens in the judicial system today is, alas, the Supreme Court itself,” he said.
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