By Zach Schonfeld - 06/11/24
The Supreme Court Historical Society condemned a liberal filmmaker for secretly recording two justices at what she said was the society’s recent annual dinner.
“Our policy is to ensure that all attendees, including the Justices, are treated with respect. We condemn the surreptitious recording of Justices at the event, which is inconsistent with the entire spirit of the evening,” James Duff, the group’s executive director, said in a statement.
Lauren Windsor, a liberal documentary filmmaker, on Monday released audio of her speaking with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito while posing as a conservative. Windsor published the audio on X and shared it with Rolling Stone.
Windsor told Alito she couldn’t see herself getting along with liberals “in the way that needs to happen for the polarization to end,” adding that the court should be about “winning.”
“I think you’re probably right. On one side or the other — one side or the other is going to win,” the conservative justice responded.
Windsor also released a recording of Alito’s wife, in which Martha-Ann Alito vowed revenge for a recent controversy over flags flown at the couple’s homes.
In the statement, Duff said Historical Society members can purchase two dinner tickets, one for themselves and one for a guest. Regular membership costs $150 and the tickets run $500, according to the society’s website.
Attending provides members with rare access to the justices, who often attend the annual event, held inside the court building. This year’s event was held on June 3.
“Attendees are advised that discussion of current cases, cases decided by this Court, or a Justice’s jurisprudence is strictly prohibited and may result in forfeiture of membership in the Society,” Duff said.
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Windsor defended the recordings and said there was nothing illegal about it.
“To people who want to pearl clutch about this, please tell me how we’re gonna get answers when the Supreme Court has been shrouded in secrecy and really just refusing any degree of accountability whatsoever,” Windsor said in the interview.
The Hill has reached out to the Supreme Court for comment on the recordings.
I’m sure it is hell for the Justices obvious Right Wing beliefs to be exposed to the public in ways they have tried to avoid. There is nothing the majority on the Court has really done to hide their fascist rulings, but the exposure is becoming embarrassing. Slime is more effective when it is not exposed to light.
No fucking shit, and I have no sympathy, since both Alito, Thomas, and Roberts refused to honor subpenas to testify to congress about their views on ethics and the behavior of Alito and Thomas, so if they won't be transparent and honest with congress or the public, then this kind of undercover reporting and getting their actual views on the record and available to the public, is necessary. Because they could have been voluntarily honest and open about their views, but refuse to do that, so they brought this on themselves, as far as I'm concerned. And I also think that, for the forseeable future at least, the confirmation hearings for SC justices should be eliminated, since these days, the nominees just lie or stonewall, whenever they're asked about their views on issues that are controversial, even tho they are already partisan ideologues, who are anything but impartial about the cases they will hear, at least the Repub nominees all are. So I would rather we dispense with that whole charade and insult to our intelligence, and just have the up or down vote of the whole Senate, without the hearings. It would be way more honest, and would save time.