The Senate Judiciary Committee conducted a hearing Tuesday on “Supreme Court Ethics Reform” to address concerns about recent revelations that Justice Clarence Thomas had accepted several trips by his billionaire buddy, Harlan Crow.
Senators Angus King and Lisa Murkowski, both Republicans, have introduced a bill to require that the Court adopt a code of ethics, appoint a designated person to receive complaints about code violations, and give it the authority to investigate these matters. The Democrats who have been calling for Thomas’ resignation (even louder) set Tuesday’s bill hearing to review the Court’s ethical standards.
Before questioning witnesses, each committee member had the opportunity to make an opening statement. John Kennedy, R-LA, delivered a statement that exposed the Democrats’ power play for what it was:
The hearing today is an opportunity to throw more dirt at an institution that some Democrats dislike because they CANNOT CONTROL it!
Senator John Kennedy:
“Today’s hearing is an excuse to sling more mud at an institution some Democrats don’t like because they CAN’T CONTROL IT!”
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— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 2, 2023
Kennedy was never one to hide the truth. In his remarks he got to the heart of the issue, saying: “The danger doesn’t lie in rogue judges operating without ethics, but rather that Democrats don’t win every battle and find this reality intolerable.”
Kennedy’s remarks were approximately 10 minutes long and are available in their entirety in the video. However, we have included some highlights.
Americans may be poorer under the Biden administration, but they are not stupid. They know what’s going on here. I remember the Democratic leader’s words of March 4th, 2020, on the steps of the United States Supreme Court like they were yesterday. “I want to tell you, Gorsuch,” he said – not “Justice Gorsuch,” of course – “I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.” Wow. Just wow. I think Matthew 12:36 is correct. “For by thy words, you shall be justified, and by thy words, you shall be condemned.”
The campaign of threats intensified when the United States Senate confirmed the three new Supreme Court Justices whom the loony wing of the Democratic Party despised. Remember the shouts? “Let’s pack Court,” they yelled, “Let’s pack Court.” Political threats from some of our highest officials fuelled physical threats against justices.
The Democratic Leader stated, “You have unleashed the whirlwind.” Infuriated, protestors took to the streets, but not outside Congress or the Court. Outside the homes, the homes. Justice Roberts and Justice Kavanaugh. Justice Thomas and Justice Barrett. This intimidation is prohibited by federal law. The Biden Justice Department, however, allowed it.
The Democratic Leader warned, “You’ll pay the price.” In this spirit, angry protesters published the school where Justice Barrett’s kids attend.
The Democratic Leader said, “You won’t even know what hit you.” A man with a knife, pepper spray, zip ties, and a gun went to the home of a judge to assassinate it. His stated goal was actually to kill three justices.
For activists, it is not so sudden that the end justifies the means.
The Dobbs ruling was not leaked even by left-wing bloggers within the Court. Why? It’s worth asking. It doesn’t matter if you’re Einstein’s relative to understand that they aren’t getting what they want. They don’t get their way so they want to alter the rules.
Kennedy continued to emphasize that the attacks were aimed at the conservative wing, and not ethics but outcomes.
They are aimed at conservative justices. They’re exaggerated. Alarmism has been affected. The real danger is not that justices have no ethics, but that Democrats don’t win every battle and find this reality intolerable. I have also been disappointed with Supreme Court opinions, but my Democratic counterparts should fill out a ‘Hurt Feelings Report’ and move on.
The agenda is to say that Justice Thomas had a wealthy friend who was not a member of the United States Supreme Court. Let’s remember that there are many examples in history of public officials who failed to disclose every transaction. It is required by law. We can admit it’s right to do it – it really is. We can do this without slandering the motives of each justice and the credibility of an entire institution, for God’s love. Do you know anyone else who has amended their disclosures due to inadvertent errors? Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Justice Stephen Breyer – are two good people. Justice Jackson amended multiple times three days after President Biden’s nomination. No Senator mentioned this during her confirmation hearings. No one from my group of colleagues came to her confirmation hearings with buckets of dirt they had thrown at Justice Thomas. We shouldn’t have let any of our colleagues bring mud to her hearings.
Some Democrats, but not all of them, and their media allies have been hyping up hit pieces against every Republican-appointed Supreme Court Justice except one. They went after Justice Kavanaugh because he bought baseball tickets, Justice Alito because he had dinner with gossip, the wife of Chief Justice Roberts hired good lawyers, Justice Gorsuch, for God’s name, for selling land to an LLC that he disclosed to a major Democratic Party donor, whom he has never met, and Justice Thomas, for having a wealthy friend. If you are listening to Justice Barrett, I hope that you do not have any library books due. You’re next if recent history is an indication.
The hearing today is an opportunity to spread more mud on an institution some Democrats don’t like because they cannot control it 100% of the time. Everyone in this room knows this. I think they will continue to do this until they get what they want every time. I hope I’m wrong.
I wish I thought he was also wrong, but I think Sen. Kennedy has it right.
