Justice Sotomayor’s staff pushed her book sales, raising ethics questions
By Karah Rucker (Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Digital Producer)
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Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
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Click to see story on New West RecordSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Flin Flon ReminderJustice Sotomayor’s Staff Has Reportedly ‘Prodded’ Public Colleges and Libraries to Buy Her Books
Click to see story on MediaiteSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff called on libraries and universities to buy her books
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Click to see story on KRDOSotomayor’s staff pushed library, colleges to buy her books: report
Click to see story on The HillSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
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Click to see story on News Facts NetworkSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and lib
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Click to see story on New York PostSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
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Click to see story on MY NorthwestSotomayor staff pushed libraries to buy more of her books
Click to see story on Hot AirSotomayor’s staff nudged colleges to purchase her books, records show
Click to see story on Washington ExaminerSonia Sotomayor’s Staff Leaned On Colleges, Libraries To Buy Her Book Ahead Of Speaking Gigs: REPORT
Click to see story on The Daily CallerEthics Alert: Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor Used Taxpayer-Funded Court Staff to Sell Her Book
Click to see story on The Western JournalSotomayor Uses Supreme Court Staff To Hawk Her Books
Click to see story on Washington Free BeaconSotomayor’s Staff Leaned on Colleges, Libraries, to Buy Her Books
Click to see story on The Daily SignalSupreme Court defends Justice Sotomayor against report claiming staffers ‘prodded’ colleges to buy her books
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Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
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Click to see story on The Skanner NewsAnother Supreme Court justice is being scrutinized over how they make money off the bench. An investigation by The Associated Press reveals Justice Sonia Sotomayor has made millions of dollars from the books she has written. The scrutiny surrounds how those books were sold.
According to the AP, Sotomayor’s staff pushed colleges, universities and libraries to buy her books in bulk for guest signings and speeches. The allegation brings into question what is considered ethical behavior by a Supreme Court justice.
Sotomayor is the latest member of the high court to be investigated for questionable ethics decisions that critics blame on a lack of restriction.
According to the investigation, Sotomayor’s court staffers were found to be deeply involved in helping the justice promote her literary career by organizing speaking engagements that sold her books for personal financial gain. This is typically prohibited for members of Congress and other government officials, but is not for members of the Supreme Court.
Through 100 public record requests, The Associated Press found that Sotomayor’s staffers repeatedly pressed event planners and businesses to purchase more books before an engagement for a higher pre-order.
In 2019, staffers told a Portland library that the 250 books it ordered wouldn’t be enough. They suggested the library purchase 1,000 copies of her children’s book “Just Ask!”.
Similar incidents took place before speaking engagements at the University of California and the University of Wisconsin. According to the AP, staffers suggested to school officials that they order Sotomayor books that could be sold at the event.
In 2017 at Clemson University, officials offered to buy 60 signed copies ahead of an appearance by the justice, but they were told by Sotomayor staffers that most schools order around 400. And in 2018, Michigan State spent more than $100,000 on signed Sotomayor books.
The Associated Press said it reached out to the Supreme Court to question whether the book sales were ethically sound. The high court responded “yes.”
“Judicial ethics guidance suggests that a judge may sign copies of his or her work, which may also be available for sale, but there should be no requirement or suggestion that attendees are required to purchase books in order to attend. Asking whether attendees were reminded that they must either buy or bring a book in order to enter a signing line at an event would in no way conflict with the standard outlined above,” the answer from the Supreme Court stated.
The Associated Press said it wasn’t just Sotomayor who leveraged publicly sponsored travel to boost book sales, but it said her staff was more forceful and successful than others. The ethical standards of Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have also been scrutinized in recent reports.
KARAH RUCKER: THE SPOTLIGHT CONTINUES TO HOVER OVER SUPREME COURT JUSTICES AND WHAT CONSTITUTES AS ETHICAL BEHAVIOR FROM THE BENCH. AN INVESTIGATION BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REVEALS SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR HAS MADE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM BOOKS SHE HAS WRITTEN –AT LEAST IN PART DUE TO HER STAFF PUSHING COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, AND LIBRARIES TO BUY HER BOOKS IN BULK FOR GUEST SIGNINGS AND SPEECHES.
SOTOMAYOR IS JUST THE LATEST MEMBER OF THE HIGH COURT TO HAVE A LAYER OF HER HISTORY PEELED BACK BY THE MEDIA –WITH BOTH CONSERVATIVE AND LIBERAL JUSTICES BEING LOOKED INTO FOR ANY QUESTIONABLE ETHICS DECISIONS THEY’VE BEEN LEGALLY ALLOWED TO MAKE BECAUSE OF WHAT CRITICS CALL A LACK OF RESTRICTION.
SOTOMAYOR’S COURT STAFF IS TAXPAYER FUNDED –AND WAS FOUND HELPING THE JUSTICE’S PERSONAL BOOK VENTURES BY PROMOTING HER LITERARY CAREER.
ACCORDING TO AP –STAFFERS WERE FOUND TO BE DEEPLY INVOLVED IN ORGANIZING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS INTENDED TO SELL BOOKS FOR PERSONAL FINANCIAL GAIN.
SOMETHING THAT IS TYPICALLY PROHIBITED FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS –YET IT IS NOT FOR THE HIGH COURT.
HERE’S SOME OF WHAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS UNCOVERED THROUGH MORE THAN 100 PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS.
IN 2019 – SOTOMAYOR WAS PROMOTING A NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK “JUST ASK!”.
A PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND LIBRARY BOOKED THE JUSTICE TO HOST AN EVENT.
SOTOMAYOR STAFFERS EMAILED THE LIBRARY AS THE EVENT NEARED –
CONCERNED THE HOSTING PARTY DIDN’T ORDER ENOUGH OF HER BOOKS.
QUOTE – “FOR AN EVENT WITH 1,000 PEOPLE AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE A COPY OF JUST ASK TO GET INTO THE LINE, 250 BOOKS IS DEFINITELY NOT ENOUGH. FAMILIES PURCHASE MULTIPLES AND PEOPLE WILL BE UPSET IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO GET IN LINE BECAUSE THE BOOK REQUIRED IS SOLD OUT.”
THIS WASN’T AN ISOLATED PUSH FOR A HIGHER PRE-ORDER.
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA –SOTOMAYOR WAS TO GIVE A COMMENCEMENT SPEECH. HER STAFF – SUGGESTED THE SCHOOL BUY COPIES OF SIGNED BOOKS IN CONNECTION WITH THE EVENT.
BEFORE VISITING THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – STAFF ALSO SUGGESTED A BOOK SIGNING EVENT. IN 2017 AT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY – SCHOOL OFFICIALS OFFERED TO BUY 60 SIGNED COPIES AHEAD OF AN APPEARANCE BY THE JUSTICE –
HER STAFF SUGGESTED MOST SCHOOLS ORDER AROUND 400.
IN 2018 – MICHIGAN STATE SPENT MORE THAN 100 THOUSAND DOLLARS ON SIGNED BOOKS. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REACHED OUT TO THE SUPREME COURT –
QUESTIONING WHETHER THIS WAS ETHICALLY OKAY. TO WHICH THEY RESPONDED – YES.
“JUDICIAL ETHICS GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT A JUDGE MAY SIGN COPIES OF HIS OR HER WORK, WHICH MAY ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE, BUT THERE SHOULD BE NO REQUIREMENT OR SUGGESTION THAT ATTENDEES ARE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE BOOKS IN ORDER TO ATTEND. ASKING WHETHER ATTENDEES WERE REMINDED THAT THEY MUST EITHER BUY OR BRING A BOOK IN ORDER TO ENTER A SIGNING LINE AT AN EVENT WOULD IN NO WAY CONFLICT WITH THE STANDARD OUTLINED ABOVE.”
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAID IT WASN’T JUST SOTOMAYOR WHO LEVERAGED PUBLICLY SPONSORED TRAVEL TO BOOST BOOK SALES. BUT SAID SOTOMAYOR’S STAFF – WAS MOST “FORCEFUL” –AND MOST “SUCCESSFUL.” SOTOMAYOR JOINS JUSTICES CLARENCE THOMAS AND SAMUEL ALITO IN RECENT EXPOSES –
LOOKING AT THE ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
Media Landscape
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Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Associated Press NewsSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on abc NewsJustice Sotomayor’s staff urged schools and libraries to buy her memoir or kid’s books
Click to see story on nprSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on NBC NewsSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Star TribuneSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Alaska Highway NewsSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Times ColonistSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on North Shore NewsSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Lakeland TodaySupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Mountainview TodaySupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Town And Country TodaySupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Burnaby NowSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on PiqueSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Delta OptimistSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Coast ReporterSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on New West RecordSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Flin Flon ReminderJustice Sotomayor’s Staff Has Reportedly ‘Prodded’ Public Colleges and Libraries to Buy Her Books
Click to see story on MediaiteSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff called on libraries and universities to buy her books
Click to see story on AM New YorkSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on The Delaware County Daily TimesJustice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges, libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Scripps NewsSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on westernwheel.caSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on CNBCSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on KRDOSotomayor’s staff pushed library, colleges to buy her books: report
Click to see story on The HillSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Winnipeg Free PressSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Pioneer PressSotomayor’s Staff Prodded Colleges to Buy Her Books
Click to see story on Political WireSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Washington Top NewsSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on The Detroit NewsSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Sask TodaySupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded Multnomah County Library, colleges nationwide to buy her books
Click to see story on The OregonianJustice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges, libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on NY1Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on KOB 4Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on OPBSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff pushed Multnomah County Library, colleges to buy her books
Click to see story on KOIN 6Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on The Sun (Lowell)Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Sentinel and EnterpriseSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books – News Facts Network
Click to see story on News Facts NetworkSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and lib
Click to see story on Washington TimesSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and…
Click to see story on New York PostSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Financial PostSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on MY NorthwestSotomayor staff pushed libraries to buy more of her books
Click to see story on Hot AirSotomayor’s staff nudged colleges to purchase her books, records show
Click to see story on Washington ExaminerSonia Sotomayor’s Staff Leaned On Colleges, Libraries To Buy Her Book Ahead Of Speaking Gigs: REPORT
Click to see story on The Daily CallerEthics Alert: Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor Used Taxpayer-Funded Court Staff to Sell Her Book
Click to see story on The Western JournalSotomayor Uses Supreme Court Staff To Hawk Her Books
Click to see story on Washington Free BeaconSotomayor’s Staff Leaned on Colleges, Libraries, to Buy Her Books
Click to see story on The Daily SignalSupreme Court defends Justice Sotomayor against report claiming staffers ‘prodded’ colleges to buy her books
Click to see story on Fox NewsUntracked Bias
Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Richmond NewsSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on AlbertaPrimeTimes.comSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Tri-City NewsSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Squamish ChiefSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on St. Albert GazetteSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Rocky Mountain OutlookSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on My Mother LodeSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on brandonsun.comSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Airdrie City ViewTue. 9:42 a.m.: Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on tribtoday.comSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Temple Daily TelegramSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Vancouver Is AwesomeSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on Powell River PeakSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books – The Morning Sun
Click to see story on communityq.comSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books
Click to see story on cochraneeagle.caSupreme Court Justice Sotomayor’s Staff Prodded Colleges and Libraries to Buy Her Books
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