The Real Reason for the Supreme Court Smear Jobs
10th May 2023
Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen a spate of media stories and dumped opposition against conservative justices on the Supreme Court, intended to paint a picture of vaguely illicit and unethical behavior while proving no illegality. ProPublica has released a number of articles regarding Clarence Thomas’s relationship with billionaire megadonor Harlan Crow. Politico trumpeted Neil Gorsuch’s sale of a Colorado property to the head of a top law firm whose lawyers regularly argue in front of the court.
The purpose of these stories is not to start a conversation among Democrats in Congress about ethical reform on the Court. Nor is it simply about “court packing” (expanding the Supreme Court to a thirteen-justice progressive majority).
No, the Democrats and their allies in the media are still not over Hillary Clinton’s failed coronation in 2016 and the resulting legal majority that now sits on the Supreme Court after President Trump appointed three justices. So they’ve turned to aggressive tactics: a full-frontal assault to delegitimize the Court and the six justices that form its majority.