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Views of SCOTUS’ credibility remain polarized ahead of major June rulings

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As June progresses, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to deliver decisions on several landmark cases that could have significant implications across various sectors. These cases include issues of presidential immunity potentially affecting former President Donald Trump, limitations on access to the abortion pill Mifepristone and the regulation of social media companies’ content moderation practices.

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The court, which currently holds a conservative majority, finds itself under intense scrutiny as it approaches these pivotal decisions.

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Public opinion on the Supreme Court is deeply divided. Democrats have raised concerns about the ethical conduct of the justices, while many Republicans view these concerns as politically motivated attempts to undermine the court ahead of crucial rulings. The ethical controversies primarily revolve around financial disclosures and the acceptance of gifts by the justices, which have drawn nationwide attention.

Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas recently amended his financial disclosures to include vacations funded by Republican billionaire Harlan Crow. These trips sparked debate over Thomas’ impartiality. Similarly, Justice Samuel Alito faced scrutiny for accepting gifts from billionaire Paul Singer. Both justices’ connections to wealthy benefactors fueled questions about the influence of outside interests on the court.

Justice Alito was further scrutinized for allegedly flying flags associated with the Jan. 6 riots and Republican movements outside his homes, leading to calls from some Democrats for his recusal from certain politically charged cases. Republicans dismissed these calls as attacks on the court’s reputation.

Ethical questions extend beyond conservative justices.

Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor has been accused of leveraging her position to secure favorable book deals, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson reported receiving free concert tickets from Beyoncé and a substantial $900,000 book advance.

Conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch also reported significant earnings from book royalties. Despite these revelations, there are no current rules explicitly prohibiting such activities since the Supreme Court lacks a formal code of conduct.

The heightened scrutiny of the justices’ personal lives has led to an investigation by the Senate Judiciary Committee into whether judicial ethics reform is necessary. The committee invited Chief Justice John Roberts to testify, but he declined, and Democrats have so far refrained from issuing a subpoena.

As the Supreme Court’s term draws to a close with a series of high-stakes decisions, the integrity of the court remains a contentious issue. The outcomes of these cases are expected to generate widespread reactions and underscore the ongoing debate over the ethical standards governing the nation’s highest judicial body.

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[KARAH RUCKER]

THE SUPREME COURT IS EXPECTED TO RULE ON SEVERAL HISTORIC CASES THIS MONTH.

CASES THAT COULD SEE SOME CHARGES AGAINST TRUMP DROPPED BASED ON PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY.

CASES THAT COULD REIGN IN ACCESS TO THE NATION’S MOST POPULAR ABORTION PILL..

AND CASES THAT COULD UPEND SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES’ POWERS TO CENSOR USER CONTENT.

BIG DECISIONS EXPECTED FROM THE HIGH COURT WITH A CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY –

CURRENTLY ENCIRCLED BY CONTROVERSY.

VIEWS OF THE SUPREME COURT ARE POLARIZED IN THE U-S–

DEMOCRATS SCRUTINIZED THE JUSTICES OVER ETHICAL CONCERNS.

WHILE MANY REPUBLICANS SAY THE SCRUTINY IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED –

LOOKING TO DISCREDIT THE HIGH COURT AHEAD OF POTENTIALLY MONUMENTAL RULINGS.

THE ETHICAL CONCERNS RAISED –

INITIALLY LARGELY REVOLVED AROUND CONSERVATIVE JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS.

IN NEWLY FILED FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES –

THOMAS **AMENDED PREVIOUS YEARS’ FILINGS TO INCLUDE VACATIONS PAID FOR BY REPUBLICAN BILLIONAIRE “HARLAN CROW.”

THE TRIPS –

RAISED QUESTIONS OVER THOMAS’ IMPARTIALITY.

CONSERVATIVE JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO ALSO HAS A WEALTHY REPUBLICAN FRIEND IN BILLIONAIRE PAUL SINGER – WHOM ALITO ALSO HAS ACCEPTED GIFTS FROM.

THESE STORIES SPARKED NATIONWIDE INTEREST IN THE PERSONAL LIVES OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICES –

THAT HAS CONTINUED TO MAKE HEADLINES LEADING UP TO THEIR SUMMER RECESS.

RECENTLY IT WAS JUSTICE ALITO IN THE SPOTLIGHT –

OVER CONTROVERSIAL FLAGS FLOWN OUTSIDE HIS HOMES – PURPORTEDLY TIED TO THE JANUARY 6 RIOTS AND  REPUBLICAN MOVEMENTS.

THERE WERE CALLS FROM DEMOCRATS FOR ALITO TO RECUSE HIMSELF FROM CERTAIN HIGHLY-POLITICIZED CASES –

LIKE CASES INVOLVING TRUMP. AND JANUARY SIXTH –

DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE FLAGS FLOWN.

REPUBLICANS DISMISSED THE CALLS FOR RECUSAL AS POLITICAL ATTACKS ON THE COURT’S REPUTATION.

WHILE QUESTIONING THE ETHICS OF THE HIGH COURT IS A POLITICIZED ISSUE –

IT ISN’T JUST CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES WHO FACE CONTROVERSY OVER THEIR TIME SPENT OUTSIDE THE COURT.

LIBERAL JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR WAS ACCUSED OF USING HER POSITION AND STAFF TO GET MORE FAVORABLE BOOK DEALS – ADDING UP TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

LIBERAL JUSTICE KETANJI JACKSON REPORTED IN THE MOST RECENT FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES RECEIVING FREE CONCERT TICKETS FROM BEYONCE. FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS FROM OPRAH.

AND A BOOK ADVANCE WORTH NEARLY A MILLION BUCKS.

CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES BRETT KAVANAUGH AND NEIL GORSUCH ALSO REPORTED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN BOOK ROYALTIES.

FROM LUXURIOUS TRIPS. CONTROVERSIAL FLAGS. TO MAJOR PAYOUTS FROM BOOK DEALS.

ALL OF THESE EXAMPLES –

ARE **NOT VIOLATIONS OF ANY RULES –

AS THERE IS NO “SCOTUS CODE OF CONDUCT”.

THE MICROSCOPE OVER THE JUSTICES’ PERSONAL LIVES PROMPTED AN INVESTIGATION FROM THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE REGARDING ETHICS –

AND WHETHER REFORM AND A RULEBOOK IS NEEDED.

THE COMMITTEE ASKED CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS TO SPEAK WITH SENATORS.

HE DECLINED.

AND DEMOCRATS HAVE SO FAR – DECIDED NOT TO SUBPOENA HIM OVER JUDICIAL ETHICS REFORM.

BUT WITH JUNE BEING THE HIGH COURT’S BUSIEST MONTH BEFORE RECESS –

THE COURT’S INTEGRITY HAS BECOME FRONT AND CENTER AHEAD OF ITS RULINGS THAT COULD HAVE A WIDE-RANGE IMPACT AND WIDE-RANGE REACTION.