Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing On Transparency and Accountability for 21st Century Courts
Sheldon Whitehouse convenes this meeting to address the issue of judicial integrity, including information from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on ’the amicus problem,’ ’the Justice recusal and conflict of interest problem,’ and ’the Justice willing exposure in resorts to lobbyist activities problem,’ and his legislative remedy in The Disclose Act.
His meeting convenes on the issue of judicial restructuring.
Kennedy says that this committee’s efforts to change SCOTUS destabilize SCOTUS, and he will not be a part of any effort to destabilize and challenge the integrity of justices of the SCOTUS. He bases his refusal to participate on what justices are supposed to do; and repeats his belief that he sees Americans as free to give their opinions, and that one side thinks it has a monopoly on the truth. Kennedy implies that one side is trying to tear down the courts while both sides are spending mightily to get rulings they profit from. Kennedy says, in effect, that things do look bad and I want to look into it, but I don’t intend to do anything about the court; instead, to find out what the Dept of Justice is made of in ferreting out the latest SCOTUS leaker.
Assuming that the witnesses give sufficient valued information re SCOTUS problems and solutions, the subcommittee should be able to move forward in the judicial reform path that Senator Whitehouse will try to move Congress.
Start: 11:10