Judge Jackson’s 2023 financial disclosure report shows she received four concert tickets from Beyoncé Knowles-Carter worth approximately $3,700. Supreme Court Public Information Officer Patricia McCabe issued a statement: “Judge Jackson is ‘madly in love’ with Beyoncé’s music. Who isn’t?” (For those outside the hive, Beyonce Oncé and her now-husband Sean Carter (aka Jay-Z) recorded a hit song in 2003 called crazy for love.) I’m fairly confident that McCabe’s comments came directly from Judge Jackson. I cannot fathom that a restrained public affairs official would voluntarily say this.
The media is too star-struck to do any scrutiny of this gift——left, leftas usual – I will.
First, is it appropriate for the Supreme Court’s press office to promote Beyoncé’s song? Look at it this way: Celebrities offer free tickets to the judge, who responds via the press office by emphasizing how great Beyoncé’s music is. Doesn’t anyone see the problem? Can you imagine what would happen if Clarence Thomas made the statement: “Who doesn’t love Harlan Crowe’s yacht?” Or if Lee Greenwood gave Justice Alito concert tickets and the PIO issued this statement: “God bless America, who doesn’t be proud to be american? ” (Write that on the flag!) Here again is a serious error of judgment. But crickets from all the usual critics.
Second, millions of Americans do love Beyoncé. I’m sure there are a lot of people within the Beltway who would enjoy free Tickets to her concert at FedEx Field. But Beyoncé isn’t handing out free tickets to her fans. How did KBJ get four votes? Did Jackson and Beyoncé have some kind of previous friendship? Does Jackson already have some sort of friendship with Oprah Winfrey? Oprah Winfrey sending her a $1,200 congratulatory bouquet in 2022? Why is this important? when a real Friends offer gifts with the understanding that they are given because of some sincere affection or previous relationship. But when a stranger or a new When friends give gifts, the understanding is that they are given to gain influence. When you become a Supreme Court Justice, you will receive location new “friends”. Nothing is free in this world. Assuming Jackson had no previous relationships with Beyoncé or Oprah, it’s a reasonable guess that the flower arrangements and concert tickets were intended to have some impact on justice. And it worked—she promoted Beyoncé’s song on Supreme Court stationery! What an advertisement.
Third, this type of gift also has a signaling function. Rule like Justice Jackson and you’ll be feted like a celebrity. Rule as Judge Kavanaugh does and you can buy tickets on StubHub. What if Justice Jackson, like her namesake Robert H. Jackson, moves to the right during her tenure? Will she still be invited to attend elite concerts? You know the answer is no. Poor Justice Kennedy gave the left kathy, Romer, Lawrence, windsor, Comprehensive Women’s Health, ObergefellWait, but his “legacy” is tarnished Trump v. Hawaii. If I had to guess, these seats are in private suites. The average ticket price is about $290, with the highest average ticket price being $651. What other celebrities have hung out in the suite? The face value of these suite tickets is misleading – the actual value is priceless. This gift, and others like it, have the effect of preserving justice. The rules fully allow these gifts as long as they are revealed. But the impact of this gift is unquestionable.
Now I don’t think Jackson’s jurisprudence will actually be affected by this or other gifts. I’m surprised by some of her points so far. She has an unpredictable and independent temperament. but i can say identical About Judge Thomas’ gift. For all the anger at Judge Thomas, nobody It is doubtful that he and Harlan Crowe were true friends. They met nearly thirty years ago and formed a close friendship. Whatever generosity Crow shared with Thomas was based on kinship and connections developed over the years. I know critics don’t believe this, but it’s true: Crowe’s travels for Thomas had absolutely no impact on his jurisprudence. I’ve heard stories about how even Judge Thomas’ clerk couldn’t convince him to change his mind. This man is a rock.
