It appears that now Associate Justice Gorsuch, IJ[1], appears to have committed a foul on the basketball floor of federal service, according to Politico:
For nearly two years beginning in 2015, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch sought a buyer for a 40-acre tract of property he co-owned in rural Granby, Colo.
Nine days after he was confirmed by the Senate for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court, the then-circuit court judge got one: The chief executive of Greenberg Traurig, one of the nation’s biggest law firms with a robust practice before the high court. Gorsuch owned the property with two other individuals.
On April 16 of 2017, Greenberg’s Brian Duffy put under contract the 3,000-square foot log home on the Colorado River and nestled in the mountains northwest of Denver, according to real estate records.
He and his wife closed on the house a month later, paying $1.825 million, according to a deed in the county’s record system. Gorsuch, who held a 20 percent stake, reported making between $250,001 and $500,000 from the sale on his federal disclosure forms.
And …
Gorsuch did not disclose the identity of the purchaser. That box was left blank.
Unsurprisingly, Greenberg Traurig has had cases up before SCOTUS, at least 22. Any recusals by the good Justice?
The article doesn’t address that question in those terms.
So this is no guarantee of actual corruption, but failing to disclose the buyer is certainly a problem of appearances.
It’s worth stopping for a summary of corruption these days. Along with Gorsuch:
- Justice Thomas’ plentiful interactions with Texas real estate developer Harlan Crow have looked quite sordid.
- Rep Santos’ (R-NY) many lies and other social transgressions, such as possibly defrauding an Amish farmer of his valuable puppies, have been a revelation.
- Rep Ogles (R-TN), too, in support of his successful campaign for election to the House, has since had his alleged lies revealed.
- On the local level, several members of the Tennessee House have had mud daubed on them liberally, such as the Speaker of the House not living in the district he represents as required by law.
- U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, the judge trying to suspend mifepristone, has had this reported about him: “… lists his most valuable investment as a holding in a single stock worth at least $5 million. The name of the company, however, is blacked out.” He claims the Clerk’s Office has the information and will automatically recuse him if necessary. That may be a credible excuse, but why is the secrecy necessary? Is this major source of his wealth a company dealing in dishonorable causes? Would it perhaps suggest he’s a hypocrite?
Overall, regardless of the truth of the matter of Kacsmaryk, the behaviors of these individuals is going to be an open wound for the Republicans going forward into the next election. Add in the clownish behavior of a number of GOP House members, and a minimally competent Democratic Party should make inroads in the 2024 elections.
1 For those readers who do not recall, “IJ” means Illicit Justice. Gorsuch sits in what might have been Merrick Garland’s seat, a seat held open by Senator McConnell (R-KY) neglecting his Constitutionally-specified duty to give advice and consent, in other words consideration, as to who should sit on the SCOTUS. Associate Justice Barrett, through no real fault of her own, also deserves such an appellation.
