Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and business

[skuthorp]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

If a very wealthy person say to his lackey, "Send her flowers" the price is unlikely be discussed, or be concerned about, and the florist knows that as well.

[Canoeyawl]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

Disclosing gifts seems far more honest and ethical than not disclosing gifts...

"in the form of vacations, overnight stays, private jet trips and yacht cruises financed by longtime Thomas associate Harlan Crow.
Crow's companies also bought a property from Thomas, where his elderly mother still lives. The home was fixed up, Crow's companies pay the taxes on it, and it's unclear if Thomas' mother pays any rent."

"Both Shaub and the Campaign Legal Center point squarely at Thomas' history of disclosing similar gifts for years before the LA Times story. And the legal center also notes a pattern of Thomas claiming to not understand the law when he had followed it in the past.
It points out that Thomas admitted in 2011, for example, to not reporting his wife's income, amending his filing only after watchdog groups pointed it out, despite having accurately disclosed his wife's income for a decade before he was on the court as chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission beginning in the 1980s."

So Coke Can Clarence gets caught in an ethical conflict and stops reporting altogether? On the excuse that he did not understand the law? WTF?

I wonder if Crow writes off these "donations" that buy him influence in the supreme court?

NPR

[Jim Bow]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

[epoxyboy]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

You lot are confusing the dollar value of the gift, and even more irrelevant, that dollar value in relation to the net worth of the giver....with what should be a fundamental no-no. People in the employ of the public should not be accepting gifts. There isn't, or shouldn't be, a place for shades of grey here. No gifts, no pro bono's, no quid pro quo's. Anything else is open to abuse.

Pete

[Garret]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

You lot are confusing the dollar value of the gift, and even more irrelevant, that dollar value in relation to the net worth of the giver....with what should be a fundamental no-no. People in the employ of the public should not be accepting gifts. There isn't, or shouldn't be, a place for shades of grey here. No gifts, no pro bono's, no quid pro quo's. Anything else is open to abuse.

Pete

So - a justice goes out to lunch with an old friend. That friend can't buy lunch - even though the justice bought lunch the last time they went out?

[Nicholas Carey]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

You lot are confusing the dollar value of the gift, and even more irrelevant, that dollar value in relation to the net worth of the giver....with what should be a fundamental no-no. People in the employ of the public should not be accepting gifts.

The clothing wasn't a gift per se: it was functionally compensation (just not in cash) for her having done the magazine the favor of doing a photo shoot to accompany the article about her. The only thing the magazine bought with it was an afternoon of her time and the rights to publish the photos of her.

[Ted Hoppe]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

So - a justice is invited to play golf with an old friend at his private club. That rich friend buys lunch and gives the justice a new set of clubs and a fine Rolex that he talked about - even though the justice had a nice seiko watch, his year old pings still looked new and he liked the last lunch which he thought was better than the last time they went out to play - what business is it of yours?

Fixed.

[David G]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

You lot are confusing the dollar value of the gift, and even more irrelevant, that dollar value in relation to the net worth of the giver....with what should be a fundamental no-no. People in the employ of the public should not be accepting gifts. There isn't, or shouldn't be, a place for shades of grey here. No gifts, no pro bono's, no quid pro quo's. Anything else is open to abuse.

Pete

Sorry, way too simplistic, and over-reaching. You'll never make it as a policymaker.

[Paul Pless]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

Sorry, way too simplistic, and over-reaching. You'll never make it as a policymaker.

i think its a mistake to be so dismissive of this particular criticism of american politics and the ethics and morals involved in gaming the system for personal gain

[Garret]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

Fixed.

Note that Ted changed what I wrote & made it completely different than what I originally said.

[David G]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

i think its a mistake to be so dismissive of this particular criticism of american politics and the ethics and morals involved in gaming the system for personal gain

I am in no way dismissing the need to claw back control of an ever-more-corrupt set of 'public servants' in an ever-more-nihilistic time. I very much agree that there need to be better standards, with teeth. I'm dismissing the untenable nature of the 'solution' suggested.

See my #54.

Do you also think it's a mistake to jump into the middle of a discussion with criticism when one apparently hasn't been paying attention to the earlier discussion?

[Ted Hoppe]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

Note that Ted changed what I wrote & made it completely different than what I originally said.

Of course I did. It was the line that many are are saying. It is none of your business what happens between two people who are friends - one rich and that one has a powerful position in government.

[Canoeyawl]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

Of course I did. It was the line that many are are saying. It is none of your business what happens between two people who are friends - one rich and that one has a powerful position in government.

It is exactly our business, that's the entire issue.
If you are forthright about the transaction then it is not unlawful.
Otherwise it is your basic bribery

[Durnik]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

Note that Ted changed what I wrote & made it completely different than what I originally said.

indeed.. from two old friends sharing a meal (a point similar to one I was set to make until I saw yours) to two (if it's Thomas implied) who had no prior 'friendship', currently have no real friendship, and where the 'gifts' were about as close to quid pro quo bribes as it's possible to get without a contract!




and thanks for your pointing out Ted's 'ftfy' without blowing your stack - as is all too common.

[Canoeyawl]

Re: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice accepted gifts from billionaire and busi

Do we know there was no contract?