a) Should Supreme Court Justices be taking free luxury vacations from billionaires?
b) Should Supreme Court Justices be taking free flights on private jets owned by billionaires?
The legal beagles will argue that it's all a matter of interpretation.
So how would they explain the "all inclusive freebie" Scalia was treated to by a billionaire who has had business before his court? How does that jibe with his position on the "rule of law"?
Can we interpret this as an example of "payola?" Is this what Bernie Sanders is referring to when he tells Americans the "system is rigged"?
On the heels of the news of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, details have emerged about where he was staying when he passed away. He was vacationing at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, a luxury resort offering “a true West Texas experience.” Guests enjoy trail rides via horse, ATV or Humvee around the massive 30,000 acre property.
The ranch is also home to John B. Poindexter, owner of J.B. Poindexter & Company. More on John Poindexter and his company from their website:
As in invited guest, Scalia was not charged for his stay at the luxury resort. The Washington Post notes that Scalia’s stay at the resort brings up several important questions, especially in light of the fact that Poindexter recently had business with the Supreme Court.
Yes, there are several troubling questions now that need to be answered. Although Poindexter admitted to The Washington Post that Scalia was part of an invited group of people and it was standard policy not to charge invited guests, he did confirm that he did not pay for the charter flight that Scalia took to West Texas. So, if he didn’t pay for the charter flight—who did? Supreme Court justices receive a salary of $223,500, hardly enough to pay for charter flights to secluded luxury resorts.
So who was Scalia traveling with? Who were the other invited guests? Who paid for the charter flight? The public really does deserve to know.
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