Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Ethical By Definition

The word "ethics" gets misapplied a lot, frequently referring to professional "norms" which may be valuable but aren't really about "ethics" in the way normal people understand the word. But "don't obviously be dishonest and corrupt" is one of those ethical standards that shouldn't need to be printed clearly in large font in the employee handbook of federal judges and SCOTUS justices.
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.

Gorsuch did not disclose the identity of the purchaser. That box was left blank.

Since then, Greenberg Traurig has been involved in at least 22 cases before or presented to the court, according to a POLITICO review of the court’s docket.
"Avoiding even the appearance of impropriety" used to be a reasonable thing to ask of high level people, particularly in public office, for reasons I shouldn't have to explain. Now it's 'lol lmao fuck you I'm a Justice that means I'm ethical you shitheads.'

Just a big coincidence.
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, Colorado.

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.
This is as bad as it looks, but even if it isn't, it's hard to grasp the sense of entitlement that would lead to these people doing things that look this bad.

And not just Gorsuch, but also the Greenberg Traurig CEO just saying YOLO.
by Atrios at 09:00