Staff Reports
Leonard Leo, a heavyweight in the conservative legal arena and co-chairman of the Federalist Society, dropped some truth bombs recently about President Joe Biden’s ambitious plans to shake up the Supreme Court. Leo asserted that if Biden is really serious about tackling “corruption,” perhaps he should start at the real source—Congress itself.
Biden’s sweeping proposal includes limiting justices’ tenure to a mere 18 years, a move Leo suggests is less about accountability and more about Democrats’ frustrations with a court that refuses to toe the liberal line. By making it easier to hold justices to new ethical standards and stripping presidents of immunity for crimes while in office, Biden is painting a picture of reform that Leo insists is just a smokescreen for a partisan grudge match. His opinion is that the ultimate goal is to dismantle the Supreme Court’s conservative majority.
President Biden just highlighted the Supreme Court’s ethical crisis in a new proposal to restore trust in the highest court.
It’s clear the American people are demanding ethics reform.
— Senate Judiciary Committee (@JudiciaryDems) July 29, 2024
In a fiery statement, Leo argued that if the Democrats are genuinely concerned with ethics, they should start by banning all gifts and perks for public officials across the board—not just targeting the judiciary. He proposed an ethics overhaul that would mean no more private jets, no lavish meals, and no tokens of appreciation for lawmakers. According to Leo, this would address the real dirty laundry hidden away in Congress. Until Democrats support such sweeping measures, Leo believes their crusade is nothing more than a desperate attempt to delegitimize the judiciary that doesn’t align with their values.
Current regulations do allow both members of Congress and federal judges to receive gifts, provided they report them properly. However, Leo’s frustration appears to stem from the disproportionate scrutiny aimed at conservative justices, which Democrats have seized upon to investigate so-called lavish gifts. His refusal to comply with subpoenas from the Senate Judiciary Committee tells readers everything they need to know about the partisan theater taking place.
Meanwhile, Biden’s proposed reforms don’t stand a chance of seeing the light of day, analysts suggest. With the House firmly under Republican control and the required two-thirds majority support needed for constitutional amendments nowhere in sight, these ambitious ideas may end up as little more than campaign slogans. Democrats like Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin may applaud Biden’s efforts, but it’s clear that their support is rooted in a desire to transform the Supreme Court into something that suits their political agenda.
At least one thing is quite clear: while Democrats continue to probe into conservative justices, Leo has been quick to state that there’s no evidence linking outside influences to the decisions made by these justices. In reality, every ruling made by the conservative majority has been consistent with their constitutional principles, prompting Leo to call out the absurdity of the Democrats’ claims about “undue influence.” Instead of trying to fix what’s not broken, Democrats might want to take Leo’s advice and focus on cleaning up their own act in Congress.
