close
close

“Nonpartisan” Supreme Court Observer Did Not Include Sonia Sotomayor’s Trip Information on Website

“Nonpartisan” Supreme Court Observer Did Not Include Sonia Sotomayor’s Trip Information on Website

EXCLUSIVE — A”non-partisan» watch group demanding transparency The Supreme Court failed to track at least two appearances by Democratic-appointed Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Washington Equizor found.

Fix The court that divides close ties to the Democratic Arabella Advisors The Washington, D.C.-based dark money network is one of several groups that frequently criticize Republican-appointed Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito for allegedly failing to disclose certain gifts and financial matters. But “transparency“The watchdog, records show, does not appear to be properly cataloging the travel of all Supreme Court justices.

According to Washington Equizor While reviewing public records, Sotomayor traveled to Vienna, Austria, in July. Justice, social networks posts The US Embassy in Austria and other sources show met with Austrian Justice Minister Alma Zadic and a group of students.

In July, Sotomayor was also welcomed to the University of Zurich in Switzerland for a panel discussion with a professor and journalist, according to the source. event announcement. The event was introduced by Susan Levin, former US Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, who also gave a brief presentation. limitation in 2021 as President Joe Biden’s assistant secretary for jobs and training.

However, to On Thursday, Fix the Court did not include the two Sotomayor speeches on its website under the ban. chapter entitled “Events and Judges’ Speeches in 2024 with Links to Recorded Videos.” This omission was corrected after Washington Equizor I’m looking for comments on this matter Gabe Rothwho runs Fix the Court and used work for the influential democratic political consulting firm SKDK.

“Thanks for the tip – I’ll definitely add it!” Roth wrote in an email, adding that Supreme Court justices are “avid travelers” and that Fix the Court is “always happy to update the page when we hear about a new trip or event.”

Republicans see the situation differently.

“Gabe Roth and his group Fix The Court are guerrilla hackers funded by left-wing billionaires who want to overthrow the conservative majority on the Supreme Court,” said attorney Mark Paoletta, a close friend of Thomas and his wife Virginia Thomas. Washington Equizor.

Paoletta, who was general counsel for the powerful Office of Management and Budget under former President Donald Trump, said it was not surprising that Roth ignored Sotomayor’s trip. A conservative lawyer wrote article V Wall Street Journal in June, he said Fix the Court inflated the value of gifts to Thomas to heighten concerns about conflicts of interest.

Fix the Court ignored an investigation into the $1 million winnings that Paoletta said Washington Free Lighthouse reportthe late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg accepted an offer from the left-wing foundation.

Carrie Severino, a former Thomas lawyer who heads the conservative watchdog group Judicial Crisis Network, agrees that the omission of travel information appears to be political bias.

“Of course, there is no problem with judicial ethics when Judge Sotomayor goes to Austria and Switzerland,” Severino said. “What is suspicious, however, is that Fix the Court follows every move of Republican-appointed judges but somehow misses this important international trip. However, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised given the organization’s history with the Arabella Advisors network.”

The omission is “sloppy,” Severino said, adding that Fix the Court is “as meticulous about statistical detail as it is about filing tax returns.”

Last year Washington Equizor found that the Fix Court did not disclose information about government lobbying, prompting Roth to apologize on the podcast and update your supervisory financial information.

Fix the Court is a former project of the New Venture Fund. key non-profit group in the Arabella Advisors network, which supports leftist movements. Founded in 2014, Fix the Court criticizes the Supreme Court for its “disregard for openness and transparency.”

At the same time, Fix the Court is unhappy that the public has received more information about its own finances. Last May, Roth unwittingly leaked information Set the Court’s donors to Washington Equizor email and panicked because of the error.

“As you can see if you looked at the forms, I’m not a very good fundraiser,” Roth previously said.

“I’m a bad CPA. I’m clumsy. Schedule B is not sent out, right? This has not been made public. For example, if you make a 501(c)(3) donation, the IRS will be able to see who is donating to you, but the general public will not,” Roth said.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“I mean, essentially, I was trying to donate money; I failed,” Roth said. “I was trying to raise money; I failed. I only have two foundations that give me money and if their names become public they will never talk to me again and Fix the Court will end. My mistake this morning probably cost me my job.

Washington Equizor contacted the Supreme Court for comment.