Ethics Complaint Filed Against Judge
A conservative policy group has filed an ethics complaint against newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson for allegedly omitting required income disclosures for over a decade while serving on the federal bench.
In a letter sent to the Judicial Conference, the Center for Renewing America, led by former senior Trump White House official Russ Vought, alleged that Justice Jackson "willfully failed to disclose" key information about her husband's malpractice consulting income.
According to federal law, judges are required to disclose any earned income exceeding $1,000 from their spouse's sources, unless the spouse is self-employed. However, in her disclosure filings for subsequent years, Justice Jackson did not include her husband's income from medical malpractice consulting fees.
Vought argues that this income does not fall under the self-employment exception, as it was paid by clients, not earned through a personal business or profession. He also points out that Justice Jackson was aware of the requirements in 2012 when she listed specific sources of her husband's income, but failed to do so in later years, except for a vague admission of "some" omissions.
Aside from this, there are also questions surrounding Justice Jackson's investiture celebration at the Library of Congress, which was held in her honor in 2022. With performances by famous musicians and a price tag of over $400, it is unclear who funded the event. Federal law requires any gifts valued over $415 to be disclosed, and Vought argues that the event certainly falls under this definition.
Vought notes that Justice Jackson's "disturbing trend" of failing to report important sources of income and gifts has "shielded potential conflicts of interest from public scrutiny" and undermined the ability of the public and watchdog groups to examine her recusal decisions.
The Center for Renewing America, a think tank led by former senior Trump White House official Russ Vought, sent a letter to the Judicial Conference with allegations that Kentanji Brown Jackson "willfully failed to disclose" required information about her husband’s malpractice… pic.twitter.com/BAoImmPkch
— ® (@M_C0MS) December 19, 2023
The letter calls for the Judicial Conference to refer Justice Jackson's possible ethics violations to Attorney General Merrick Garland for investigation and possible civil enforcement. If found guilty, she could face serious consequences for her willful violation of federal law.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Supreme Court's public information office for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
This is not the first controversy surrounding Justice Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court. During her confirmation process, she faced criticism from Republicans for her lack of experience as a judge and her past statements on issues such as criminal justice reform and gun control.
If the allegations against Justice Jackson are proven to be true, it could further damage her reputation and credibility on the bench. It remains to be seen how she will respond to the ethics complaint and how it will impact her role as a Supreme Court justice.