2016 FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES OF JUSTICES REVEAL BIG STOCK SELL-OFFS
June 9, 2017
SHE GOT THE MONEY AND I GOT THE HONEY
|Yesterday, we got the 2016 financial disclosure reports of our beloved U.S. Supreme Court justices. It was an especially notable day because it was the first time since the Ethics in Government Act went into effect in October of 1978 that the justices’ disclosures were distributed for free and via anything other than paper. In this case, they were distributed via thumb drives. From the disclosures we learned that three justices — CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS, JUSTICE STEPHEN BREYER, and JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO — sold up to $1.045 million in individual securities from their portfolios in 2016 while choosing to focus new investments in the types of funds that would not trigger recusals at the cert. or merits stage. GABE ROTH, Executive Director of Fix the Court, weighed in saying, “I am encouraged by the justices’ continued stock sell-off and call on them to accelerate the practice, especially at a time when public servants’ integrity in Washington is at a premium”
MUST BE THE MONEY
|Tony Mauro with The National Law Journal reported on the justices’ financial disclosures, detailing some of the more notable gems of information to be gleaned from the reports. Turns out, JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG’S latest book “My Own Words” is doing pretty well — she’s earned herself over $200,000 in royalties.
OTHER NEWS
Your Cellphone Privacy Rights May Depend on This Supreme Court Case
Mother Jones“There’s a good chance that while you’re reading this, your cellphone is either in your pocket or within arm’s reach. That phone helps produce tons of identifying data about you—and where you are located. The future privacy of that information may depend on a landmark case that the Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear.”
"The Originalist" Q&A with Playwright John Strand 2.0
SCOTUSblog“John Strand’s “The Originalist,” which premiered at Arena Stage in Washington in 2015, is returning there for a limited engagement this summer. SCOTUSblog interviewed the playwright during the 2015 run. A lot has happened since then, including the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia, who inspired the play and who is one of its main characters, the protracted battle over Scalia’s replacement, and the presidential election.”