In a new development that has rocked the legal world, US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has been accused of violating “basic tenets of ethics” by using her taxpayer-funded staff to push sales of her books. According to an investigation, Justice Sotomayor’s staff members have encouraged schools and libraries to purchase hundreds or thousands of copies of her books in advance of planned speeches. In some cases, the staffers have even pressured administrators to buy her autobiography and children’s books. While federal ethics laws prohibit members of Congress and other federal employees from making such requests, Supreme Court Justices are exempt from these laws.
The investigation, which was based on information from over 100 open records requests, shows that Justice Sotomayor has earned at least $3.7 million from book sales since being appointed to the Supreme Court in 2009. Her net worth has grown significantly during this period, but it is not clear how much of this is due to book sales. The revelations have sparked criticism of the Supreme Court’s ethics and have further eroded Americans’ trust in the institution, which has fallen to an all-time low of 25%.
Kedric Payne, a former deputy chief of staff at the Office of Congressional Ethics, has said that “this is one of the most basic tenets of ethics laws that protects taxpayer dollars from misuse.” The report also notes that ethics rules prohibit members of Congress and the executive branch from using government resources, including staff, to promote personal business interests. It is not clear whether Justice Sotomayor’s actions violate any specific ethical guidelines, as there is currently no code of conduct for Supreme Court justices.
Justice Sotomayor has not yet commented on the allegations. However, her spokesman, Adam Fetcher, has released a statement saying that the Justice “has long been committed to promoting literacy and education, especially among young people.” He added that “her books have been praised by educators and parents alike, and she is grateful for the support her staff has provided in promoting them.”
The scandal is likely to raise questions about the accountability of Supreme Court justices and the need for a code of conduct for the institution. It is also likely to lead to increased scrutiny of Justice Sotomayor’s financial disclosures and earnings from book sales. As the investigation continues, it’ll be interesting to see how much damage the scandal will do to the Supreme Court’s reputation and to Justice Sotomayor’s legacy.