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submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

The Supreme Court was hit by a flurry of damaging new leaks Sunday as a series of confidential memos written by the chief justice were revealed by The New York Times.

The court’s Chief Justice John Roberts was clear to his fellow justices in February: He wanted the court to take up a case weighing Donald Trump’s right to presidential immunity—and he seemed inclined to protect the former president.

“I think it likely that we will view the separation of powers analysis differently,” Roberts wrote to his Supreme Court peers, according to a private memo obtained by the *Times. *He was referencing the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to allow the case to move forward.

Roberts took an unusual level of involvement in this and other cases that ultimately benefited Trump, according to the Times— his handling of the cases surprised even some other justices on the high court, across ideological lines. As president, Trump appointed three of the members of its current conservative supermajority.

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[-] henfredemars@infosec.pub 408 points 2 weeks ago

Hey guys I know it’s wild but there might be some corruption going on in the Supreme Court.

[-] Cringedrif@lemmy.world 169 points 2 weeks ago

Lucky for us there is a system of checks and....oh wait...

[-] dhork@lemmy.world 135 points 2 weeks ago

Bribery. Checks and bribery.

[-] mriguy@lemmy.world 73 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

A system of checks and money orders. And cash.

[-] kescusay@lemmy.world 44 points 2 weeks ago

And luxury vacations. And forgiven "loans." And property purchased as "gifts." And free flights on private jets. And...

These fuckers. These absolutely amoral fuckers.

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[-] dhork@lemmy.world 26 points 2 weeks ago

Don't forget the gold bars, and RVs

[-] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago

And cigarette cartons

[-] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago

Checks and bigger checks.

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[-] Avatar_of_Self@lemmy.world 62 points 2 weeks ago

Bank checks and account balances.

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[-] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago

The biggest blunder of the framers was assuming we'd never form factions (i.e. parties). The assumption was that the branches would oppose each other, not collude.

[-] krashmo@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago

I don't think that's their fault. They specifically addressed a two party system in multiple writings (they didn't like it) in addition to explicitly stating that they expected future generations to update the constitution as necessary to protect the republic from those who would seek to undermine or replace it. We didn't heed their warnings and now here we are.

To be clear, I don't think the framers were infallible or able to see all possibile challenges that our nation would face. However, they seem to have been pretty damn good at learning from history and that's something modern Americans are absolutely abysmal at. For all their faults they have a lot to teach us in that respect.

[-] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 14 points 2 weeks ago

they expected future generations to update the constitution as necessary to protect the republic from those who would seek to undermine or replace it.

The problem with this is that it requires people in power to vote to limit their own power. And while there have been some, certainly, who have been willing to do so, getting a supermajority of people willing to do it is simply not something I see as remotely possible anymore.

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[-] Cephalotrocity@biglemmowski.win 12 points 2 weeks ago

there is a system of cheques and account balances?

[-] Diva@lemmy.ml 22 points 2 weeks ago

The supreme court makes a mockery of democracy (intentionally) and should be treated with scorn instead of reverence.

[-] pubquiz@lemmy.world 214 points 2 weeks ago

I'd like to take a moment to remind y'all that Clarence "I'm For Sale" Thomas turned down a FREE RV offered by Last Week Tonight. So he's not corrupt. He's selective.

Let's wait and see how he votes on repealing https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loving_v._Virginia

I'm sure he'll vote his conscience

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 52 points 2 weeks ago

but he already has a free RV,

[-] YtA4QCam2A9j7EfTgHrH@infosec.pub 45 points 2 weeks ago

I think Oliver also offered him $1 million a year from Oliver’s personal moneys. Which is not an insignificant amount of money for a justice who isn’t corrupt.

[-] nul9o9@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago

In the past, he signaled he'd retire because he wasn't getting paid enough, meaning he needed to be bribed to keep a conservative justice on the SCOTUS.

If you take it at face value, then he should have jumped at John Olivers' offer.

[-] MonkRome@lemmy.world 21 points 2 weeks ago

The only thing Thomas likes more than money is respect. He would never take Oliver money because it would publicly embarrass him. He hates embarrassment more than anything.

[-] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

Embarrassment suggests he has a sense of shame. He has already conducted a number of shameful acts already (taking gifts) without any sense he's embarrassed.

[-] MonkRome@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

When he was in front of the Senate confirmation hearing he was absolutely embarrassed. He knew everyone was watching while he was accused of sexual harassment. He basically stopped interacting with the media because he was so furious with how he was portrayed publicly. Dude hates being publicly shamed. Doesn't mean he's wise enough to stop doing shitty things.

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[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

to retire, yes. i remember that, lol.

[-] pubquiz@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

This one would be newer. A truth lost on us plebes who have to pay for things.

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago

but he was holding out for a private jet.

[-] jaybone@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

How to avoid bribes with this one weird trick.

[-] Moah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 2 weeks ago

And one million dollar a year

[-] Furbag@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago

Why take a bribe from John Oliver, who would immediately turn around and disclose that Thomas accepted it on his television program, when he could just go ask Daddy Harlan Crow for an identical RV and then not disclose it?

The Supreme Court is corrupt to the core. There's an inability to hold them accountable for anything. The system of checks and balances functionally doesn't exist for this "apolitical" branch.

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[-] DirkMcCallahan@lemmy.world 105 points 2 weeks ago

I am shocked...shocked to find corruption going on in the Supreme Court!

[-] ganksy@lemmy.world 34 points 2 weeks ago

I'm shocked that they kept the records of the corruption

[-] satanmat@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago

This … I’d have thought he would not have put it in writing

[-] lemmyng@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 weeks ago

Well not that shocked.

[-] bradinutah@thelemmy.club 7 points 2 weeks ago

"Here's your free vacation, sir!"

[-] rsuri@lemmy.world 104 points 2 weeks ago

“I think it likely that we will view the separation of powers analysis differently,” Roberts wrote to his Supreme Court peers, according to a private memo obtained by the Times.

That's all the Times is gonna give us? One sentence of a memo relating to one of the most questionable Supreme Court decisions of all time? The voters should know everything about how they got to this decision.

[-] OldWoodFrame@lemm.ee 17 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah that's not even enough for me to know if it's controversial. I, also, think SCOTUS will have different opinions on separation of powers.

[-] exanime@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago

While I agree we need more, this may not sound like much to you or me... but a SCOTUS judge saying it basically states he already has made up his mind about where he stands before even taking the case. They are supposed to be impartial at all times

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[-] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 62 points 2 weeks ago

I'm GLAD that these LAWMAKERS are UNELECTED and Appointed for a LIFETIME!

[-] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 40 points 2 weeks ago

Term limits won't help with systemic corruption, because replacing corrupt judges with new corrupt judges would be the natural response.

Enshrining impeachment as a regular and viable strategy for actual corruption would be.

[-] slickgoat@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

Make them elected and dark money will guarantee that the self-same bastards are elected. You think that democracy is a roadblock to these people?

[-] slickgoat@lemmy.world 30 points 2 weeks ago

Not surprised that it happened, shocked that the story got out.

[-] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 23 points 2 weeks ago

Are they going to vigorously investigate these leaks just long enough to find out it was one of the conservatives and then drop the whole thing?

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[-] Professorozone@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago

I say..."And?"

Like anything will come of it.

[-] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 weeks ago
[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago

Damn. Maybe time to revisit whether Marbury v. Madison was wrongly decided.

[-] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 6 points 2 weeks ago

Consequences for blatant bullshit and corruption coming in...

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this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2024
754 points (99.1% liked)

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