Supreme Court activist acknowledges lobbying disclosure lapse: ‘I stand corrected’
The Head of Supreme Court Watchdog Admits Failure to Disclose Lobbying
The head of a Supreme Court “transparency” watchdog, Fix the Court, has admitted that his group failed to disclose its own lobbying activities. Fix the Court has been spearheading a campaign alleging ethics violations among justices, including Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. The admission comes after tax attorneys raised concerns that the group may have skirted federal law by not reporting grassroots lobbying activities on financial disclosures.
Transparency and Compliance
Fix the Court Executive Director Gabe Roth acknowledged the failure to disclose lobbying in an interview, stating, “I have been corrected.” He explained that he didn’t hire lobbyists and didn’t understand why the IRS would care about the time he spent on lobbying activities. However, he now recognizes the importance of compliance and is working to rectify the situation.
Charities like Fix the Court are permitted to lobby as long as it constitutes no more than 20% of their annual expenditures. However, formal advocacy is still required to be reported on financial disclosures. Fix the Court checked the box “no” on these forms in 2021 and 2022, indicating that it did not engage in lobbying. Roth claimed that spending 15% to 20% of his time on non-lobbying activities is atypical for someone in his position.
Undermining the Group’s Position
Roth’s admission may undermine Fix the Court’s position as an ”ethics” group committed to promoting transparency. Senate Republicans previously criticized the group for hypocrisy after it accidentally leaked its donors, which included liberal groups. Additionally, Fix the Court faced an IRS complaint over allegations of illegal overpayment to Roth.
Fix the Court has been highly critical of justices for not reporting gifts and other financial matters, despite the lack of legal requirements to do so. The group’s own failure to disclose lobbying activities raises questions about its credibility in calling out justices for disclosure problems.
Commitment to Compliance
Roth acknowledged the irony of Fix the Court’s disclosure issues and stated that the organization is working to improve compliance. They have hired professionals to ensure that all paperwork is in order. Despite the criticism, Fix the Court maintains its commitment to promoting transparency and ethical standards for justices nominated by both Democratic and Republican presidents.
However, the Wall Street Journal has called for Fix the Court to address its own issues before demanding restructuring from Congress or the IRS.
Overall, the admission of undisclosed lobbying activities by Fix the Court raises concerns about the group’s transparency and credibility in its campaign against ethics violations among Supreme Court justices.
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