Nine justices, appointed for life, have the final word on abortion, voting rights, the power of federal agencies, the limits of the presidency, and money in politics. For most of the nation's history they were bound by no mandatory code of ethics, and even today no one outside the Court can investigate or sanction them.
Beginning in 2023, investigations by journalists and Congress revealed that some justices had for years accepted private jet and yacht trips, real estate purchases, tuition payments, and loans from wealthy friends, often without disclosing them. Justice for Sale? assembles that record: Clarence Thomas and Harlan Crow, Samuel Alito's Alaska trip and the flag controversies, Ginni Thomas and January 6, Neil Gorsuch's book deals and questions about other justices, the money behind recent nominations, and the reform proposals before Congress.
No justice has been charged with or convicted of bribery, and this book does not claim that any justice sold a vote. It asks a different and perhaps more important question: can the public still trust the impartiality of a court that polices itself? Includes a document guide and full source notes.
Book 3 of Putting America Last: A World Without Friends.