Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, perhaps best known for authoring the ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, has heard the criticisms that have questioned the integrity of the institution he serves. The far-right jurist has also made some appearances in recent weeks, trying to defend the high court’s credibility.
He’s an awful messenger for the message. In fact, as regular readers may recall, Alito, in the wake of a series of overtly political speeches, even tried to defend the Supreme Court’s integrity at a pro-Trump organization, exactly two weeks before the midterm elections, while early voting was underway.
It was against this backdrop that Alito made another public appearance last night. NBC News reported:
Justice Samuel Alito, who authored the Supreme Court ruling that upended abortion rights, was given a boisterous standing ovation Thursday at an event hosted by the Federalist Society, an influential conservative legal group. Alito, in brief remarks at the organization’s 40th-anniversary gala near the Supreme Court, praised the influence the society has had on the legal landscape, with its members now spread throughout the federal judiciary.
“And boy, is your work needed today,” Alito said.
In case this isn’t obvious, Politico’s report noted that the Federalist Society is a “right-leaning lawyers’ group that has become instrumental in grooming and vetting candidates to be nominated to the federal judiciary by Republican presidents.”
And when the group got together to celebrate itself, Alito agreed to join the festivities. He wasn’t alone: Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, each of whom were nominated by Donald Trump, were also in attendance.
Their presence at the gathering gave the impression that they’re part of a broader political movement, which doesn’t do the court any favors. The latest Gallup poll found trust in the Supreme Court deteriorating to historical lows, and the data came on the heels of a national Grinnell College/Selzer survey that found that nearly two-thirds of Americans agree that politics drives the justices’ rulings.
Members of the court’s far-right majority could take steps to reassure the public that the Supreme Court is a neutral arbiter worthy of trust and respect. They’re doing the opposite.
What matters most, of course, is their rulings, and the conservative justices have been unreserved in their reactionary ambitions. But circling back to our earlier coverage, their extracurricular activities don’t help.
Alito’s provocative speeches tend to have an unmistakable political bent, and Justice Clarence Thomas also recently attended a political event hosted by a conservative group, where he was celebrated by the Republicans’ Senate leader.
In February, Justice Neil Gorsuch spoke to the Florida chapter of the Federalist Society, where journalists were told they were not allowed to hear what he had to say. A few months earlier, Justice Amy Coney Barrett tried to defend the Supreme Court’s political impartiality — while speaking alongside Mitch McConnell, who rushed her onto the bench during the 2020 presidential election as part of a brazenly political display. “My goal today is to convince you that this court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks,” Barrett said at the time. Is it any wonder why some find her assurances hard to believe? Related:
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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