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Judges: Targets of Corporate Lobbying
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ShareMay 26, 2006 10:26 AM
There's new evidence big corporations have a new target for their lobbying, federal judges.
A new report by the Community Rights Council, a non-profit legal group, reveals the number of federal judges taking trips to fancy resorts, funded in large part by corporate donations, has increased by more than 60% in the last decade.
The sponsors call them legal education; others call them junkets.
The report cites documents that show that tobacco and oil companies, including Philip Morris and Exxon, have been sponsoring these trips for years.
Doug Kendall is the executive director of Community Rights Council. "This is about programs, you know multi-day programs at resorts, where the objective is to shape judicial thinking on hot-button legal topics."
New Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has promised to review the practice, saying no one should be able to lobby judges.
Click here to read the report by the Community Rights Council.
May 26, 2006 | Permalink | User Comments (7)
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No matter the area of government one looks at corruption is practiced in the open and can only be taken as a sign of utter contempt for the rest of us. Our government has clearly separated itself from the rest of us. There are two sets of rules. This society is doomed.
Posted by: Howzilla | May 26, 2006 3:08:44 PM
There needs to be legislation to prevent lobbying of judges. This is a serious conflict of interests in regards to the judicial branch. Particularly considering that this would provide a means for politicians to indirectly influence justices.
Posted by: wick | May 27, 2006 1:03:58 AM
A federal judge from my state leads the panel investigating whether expenses-paid seminars for judges are appropriate. Since my state has public-financed state elections anything of that nature seems inappropriate.
It is remarkable what a difference public-financed state elections make, and I would encourage ABC News to report on that some time. The biggest change is big business and the Chamber of Commerce have much less influence on the state legislature.
Posted by: Chris | May 27, 2006 11:29:33 AM
Politicians are looked upon as self serving and even corrupt. Now the honesty of judges are in question.Politicians are not viewed as truth tellers and American citizens are fed up. We need public funding of campaigns. We need the oportunity for the average person to afford to run for office. We need oversight and most importanly we expect HONESTY.
Posted by: Jean Zitkus | May 28, 2006 4:43:29 PM
We, the American people, have to urge our reps to develop fullproof legislation that will isolate all levels of government officals from corp. money. Our form of government is doomed if the current trend is allowed to continue.
Posted by: dalton | May 29, 2006 9:35:17 AM
The independent movement is on and we need to get rid of the democrates and the republicants. We also need to make sure the independents that are elected don't try the same things the current quo is doing. We need a fair and just goverment.
Posted by: Steven P. Johnson | Jun 2, 2006 9:31:54 AM
Repeal the corporate designation as a "person" under the law--NOW!!!
Posted by: Lana | Feb 21, 2007 12:18:10 PM
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