Staff Reports
The recent Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on Supreme Court ethics continued to be a raging spectacle on Tuesday, which only raised more questions about the double standard of Democrats. All this fuss about Justice Clarence Thomas appears to be part of the Democrats’ agenda to destroy the Supreme Court as a legitimate institution.
Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearing on Supreme Court ethics amid questions on gifts from Harland Crow to Justice Clarence Thomas. https://t.co/Vxy1dX0iJq
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 2, 2023
But the irony is not lost on anyone, given that many of these members who sit on the Judiciary Committee are not immune to ethical lapses that are a far cry from the standards they proclaim as paramount in the “survival of our democracy.” In fact, instances abound where these Democrats have fallen short of the same ethical standards that they demand from Justice Thomas and the Supreme Court.
Take, for instance, Senator Dick Durbin from Illinois, whose 2014 investigation by the Chicago Tribune raised questions about fresh conflict of interest related to his clients’ federal funding. Similarly, in 2009, Durbin was found selling shares and making investments in the company he was supposed to oversee. He conveniently cashed in more than $115,000 worth of stocks and mutual-fund shares, including mutual-fund shares worth $42,696, the day after he was urged to make services available to financially troubled banks.
Senator Dianne Feinstein from California is still among the most vocal left-wing supporters to undermine the Supreme Court, but her own ethical credentials have raised numerous eyebrows. Her husband was caught dumping shares in a biotech company that quickly moved out of the market just before the COVID-induced economic crash. Feinstein also failed to report her husband’s purchase of some 50,000 worth of stocks in a polling company run by her husband’s longtime aide.
Senator Cory Booker is not a stranger to questions around ethics, as he has exhibited numerous ethical missteps during his tenure in the chamber. While serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Booker declared himself a “Spartacus” and made public documents provided on a condition of privacy. As a former Newark mayor, Booker received annual payments of close to $700,000 from his former law firm, Trenk, DiPasquale, and Webster, suggesting possible conflicts of interest. He was given a “borderline” rating in ethics by Business Insider.
Moreover, other members of the Judiciary Committee have not adhered to ethical rules and disclosure guidelines. For example, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island, who was once part of a Beach Club that allegedly only allowed whites, attempted to increase federal money into pharmaceuticals while owning health care stocks costing between $15,000 and $50,000. Similarly, Senator Peter Welch from Vermont failed to disclose his wife’s sale of $6,238 in ExxonMobil shares just three days before grilling the company’s CEO during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing.
The examples are endless, highlighting the Democrats’ personal hypocrisy, considering their ethical lapses that have come to light. Yet they continue to demand the implementation of high moral and ethical standards from others. Until these Democrats practice what they preach, their charade of performing for the cameras is no substitute for a robust ethical standard upheld by every lawmaker in the country.
