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Common Cause Ohio’s Coffee Hour Follow Up
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U.S. Supreme Court: Judicial Ethics & Recusal Forum Follow Up
Common Cause Ohio and the Ohio Fair Courts Alliance co-hosted a virtual forum to explore the pressing need for robust judicial ethics and meaningful reform for the United States’ highest court.
Thank you so much to all who were able to participate in our forum — U.S. Supreme Court: Judicial Ethics & Recusal forum!
A special thank you to our moderator Maria Bruno and our panelists, Lisa Graves, founder and Executive Director, True North Research, and Gabe Roth, Executive Director, Fix the Courts.
Click here for the slides and click here for the recording.
Americans deserve nothing less than a court that is impartial and free from conflicts of interest. Please take action and urge Congress to support the High Court Gift Ban Act (H.R. 8830) and close the giant loophole that allows Supreme Court justices to accept staggeringly expensive “gifts” from billionaires with interests in Supreme Court litigation.
We appreciate support from co-sponsors including: ACLU of Ohio, League of Women Voters of Ohio, Ohio Families Unite for Political Action and Change (OFUPAC), and the Ohio Environmental Council.
Background on the Recent Court Activity
Last year, the US Supreme Court established a voluntary code of conduct. Since then, we have learned more about the undisclosed travel and gifts given to justices by those with a stake in the important decisions made by our highest court.
Panel experts explored the consequences of recent gifts, the potential conflicts of interest that they present, and the refusal on the part of the justices to recuse themselves when such situations arise.
Resources from the Panelists
Lisa Graves:
- True North Issues New Research Report Detailing Who Is Targeting State Courts to Limit Freedoms, True North Research, April 24, 2024
- What Ginni Thomas and Leonard Leo wrought: How a justice’s wife and a key activist started a movement, Politico, September 10, 2023
- Neil Gorsuch’s Very Nonpartisan Federalist Society Speech Is Closed to the Press, Balls and Strikes, February 3, 2022
- Justice Barrett’s Ties to Shell and API Are Far Deeper Than Reported; Her Father Could Be Deposed in Climate Change Suits, True North Research, January 14, 2021
Gabe Roth:
- Confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court is cratering. What to do?, Ohio Capital Journal, August 2, 2024
- A Staggering Tally: Supreme Court Justices Accepted Hundreds of Gifts Worth Millions of Dollars, Fix the Court, June 6, 2024
- 2021-2023 SCOTUS Financial Disclosure Reports
- Instructions on submitting written comments to the Federal Judiciary for proposed amendments
Videos, podcasts, and articles
- US Supreme Court Code of Conduct
- ProPublica and On the Media Podcast – We Don’t Talk About Leonard (Leo)
- Conversation with Brennan Center & US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: Supreme Court: Ready for Reform?
- Majority of Republicans support Supreme Court reforms in Biden’s proposal: Poll, The Hill, August 12, 2024
- Justice Thomas Failed to Reveal More Private Flights, Senator Says, The NY Times, August 5, 2024
- To recuse or refuse? A look at Supreme Court justices’ decisions on whether to step aside in cases, AP, May 29, 2024
- Harlan Crow’s deep dark money connections, Citizens for Ethics, Citizens for Ethics, June 15, 2023
Reform Efforts
- FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Bold Plan to Reform the Supreme Court and Ensure No President Is Above the Law (July 29, 2024)
- Raskin, Ocasio-Cortez Introduce Legislation Imposing Gift Ban on Supreme Court Justices, House Press Release, June 25, 2024
- Congressman Johnson Leads House Members Launching Court Reform Now Task Force, House Press Release, May 15, 2024
Updates
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Common Cause Ohio Hosts Webinar on Dark Money in Ohio’s Supreme Court Races
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Coffee with Common Cause – Tools and Resources