Staff Reports
In a refreshing case of common sense, the Supreme Court brushed off yet another desperate attempt by federal prosecutors to meddle in state affairs. For those keeping count, it’s another loss for the Biden administration’s cronies who apparently have never met a federal overreach they didn’t like. This time, they tried to take down James Snyder, an ex-Republican mayor of Portage, Indiana. Well, the joke’s on them as the high court ruled 6-3 in Snyder’s favor.
This decision should remind everyone that not all gifts and gratuities are created equal, and states have every right to decide their own rules without Uncle Sam sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority, highlighted that different states and local governments have varying standards. Some don’t want their officials taking gifts from companies doing business with them, while others are more lenient. After all, many state and local officials aren’t full-time politicians and have real jobs—imagine that!
BREAKING: The US Supreme Court is poised to allow abortions in medical emergencies in Idaho, according to a copy of the opinion that was briefly posted on the court’s website. https://t.co/biW30NQTXv
— Bloomberg Law (@BLaw) June 26, 2024
Hilariously, this stemmed from the federal government throwing a tantrum over Snyder accepting a $13,000 check from Great Lakes Peterbilt in 2014. A cool million-dollar contract from the previous year seemed to have them hot and bothered. Snyder said it was for consulting services. The feds, predictably, cried corruption. What a shocker! But the Supreme Court put its foot down. They decided it’s high time the federal government quits acting like a hyperactive hall monitor.
Predictably, the liberal justices had a meltdown. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson huffed and puffed about how this decision somehow undermines Congress’s efforts to curb state and local corruption. Her dissent, joined by Kagan and Sotomayor, was filled with the predictable hand-wringing and alarmist rhetoric. The trio’s tirade was little more than a sad attempt at defending a hopelessly outdated view of federal power. Snyder, for his part, maintains he’s innocent—maybe because, surprise, people sometimes are.
Of course, no discussion of this case would be complete without noting the left’s laughable attempts to portray GOP-appointed justices as ethically challenged. They’ve tried to smear Justices Thomas and Alito with wild accusations of improperly disclosed gifts—as if anyone needs a luxury vacation to see how off-course federal prosecutors have gone. But rest easy, folks. They both pointed out there were no reporting requirements back then, and they’re not losing sleep over it.
If anyone thought this was an isolated incident, remember that the Supreme Court also made waves overturning convictions in previous public corruption cases, such as those of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell in 2016. The pattern is clear: the Supreme Court isn’t interested in playing referee to Democrat-led witch hunts disguised as corruption cases. Thank goodness someone’s keeping things practical in D.C.
