A Supreme Conflict of Interest (petition)

[babsbunny]

http://www.commoncause.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=6498987&msource=AWA1101SUA18

Did these two men, Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, have a shocking and undisclosed conflict of interest when they ruled on the Citizens United case -- which opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate political spending?

Sign our petition calling for a Justice Department investigation of whether Scalia and Thomas should have recused themselves from the Citizens United case because of their participation in secret political strategy meetings with Koch Industries!

[nc4bo]

1. Done. nt.

[mod mom]

2. gladly done.

[inademv]

3. question

Are they even subject to any consequences for that if they legitimately have a conflict of interest?

[jberryhill]

5. No, they aren't

While the Constitution states they shall hold their offices during "good conduct", the DoJ has no jurisdiction on this question.

[jberryhill]

4. DoJ doesn't have jurisdiction to do that, unfortunately

It turns out that the code of judicial conduct doesn't apply to the Supreme Court justices, for reasons that should be evident on reflection.

[inademv]

6. I've always thought it was odd

that the senate confirmation hearings were just largely for show when it comes to supreme court nominations. Shouldn't they be the setting for extensive investigations into the background and intensive personality/behavior of the nominees if they are going to be set in a position in which they can do practically anything they want?

[jberryhill]

7. It is a position of extreme trust

The real background investigation has nothing to do with the hearings, which are, yes, largely for show.

The notion that an agency of the executive branch should have the authority to penalize or remove a Supreme Court justice is, however, directly corrosive to the separation of powers.

[inademv]

9. well

I'm not suggesting that there should be such an ability granted to a specific branch. The whole checks and balances system is quite brilliant and I personally lack the knowledge of the system to think of a better way, other than not confirming corrupt and hypocritical tool such as Roberts, Scalia, and Thomas.

[jillan]

8. Done!

[Enthusiast]

10. Done nt