The Democrats have launched a crusade against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the gifts he allegedly accepted from a billionaire friend, but it appears that one of their favored Justices is embroiled in a scandal that is far more serious.
The Daily Wire reported that Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was paid millions of dollars by book publisher Penguin Random House and then sat on cases involving the company.
“In 2010, she got a $1.2 million book advance from Knopf Doubleday Group, a part of the conglomerate. In 2012, she reported receiving two advance payments from the publisher totaling $1.9 million,” it said.
“In 2013, Sotomayor voted in a decision for whether the court should hear a case against the publisher called Aaron Greenspan v. Random House, despite then-fellow Justice Stephen Breyer recusing after also receiving money from the publisher. Greenspan was a Harvard classmate of Mark Zuckerberg’s who wrote a book about the founding of Facebook and contended that Random House rejected his book proposal and then awarded a deal to another author who copied his book and eventually turned it into the movie The Social Network,” the report said.
“In 2017, Sotomayor began receiving payments each year from Penguin Random House itself, which continued annually through at least 2021, the most recent disclosure available, and totaled more than $500,000. In all, she received $3.6 million from Penguin Random House or its subsidiaries, according to a Daily Wire tally of financial disclosures,” it said.
“In October 2019, children’s author Jennie Nicassio petitioned the Supreme Court to hear her lawsuit against Penguin Random House alleging that the book publisher had copied her book by selling one that was nearly identical. On the same day that the petition was distributed to the justices, Sotomayor received a $10,586 check from the publisher,” it said.
The court denied the “writ of certiorari” in February 2020, which meant that the lower court’s ruling in favor of the publisher would remain in effect.
The very next month, the parent company of the publisher gave Justice Sotomayor the largest check she had ever received from them for $82,807.
It is unknown how Justice Sotomayor voted, but it is known that, unlike Justice Breyer, she did not recuse herself from the case.
Justice Breyer repeatedly recused himself from cases involving the publisher, despite the fact that the amount he received from them during that time was one-tenth of what Justice Sotomayor received, or $340,000.
The vast majority of Justice Sotomayor’s non-Supreme Court income came from the publisher, which even paid for her appearances at speaking engagements.
“So Liberal SCOTUS Justice Sotomayor took over $3 million from Penguin Random House and didn’t recuse herself from multiple copyright cases involving the publisher—with rulings that sided in favor of Random House and saved them mountains of $$—even though Justice Breyer did recuse himself while getting paid far less by the same publisher. Given the breathless coverage over contrived controversies involving Justices Thomas and Gorsuch, it’s great to see solid conservative reporting punching back and giving the left a taste of its own medicine,” conservative podcast host Charlie Kirk said on Twitter.
So Liberal SCOTUS Justice Sotomayor took over $3 million from Penguin Random House and didn’t recuse herself from multiple copyright cases involving the publisher—with rulings that sided in favor for Random House and saved them mountains of $$—even though Justice Breyer did…
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 4, 2023
“Sonia Sotomayor received over $3 million for her books from Penguin Random House publishing and then didn’t recuse herself from a case in which they were involved before SCOTUS where the company stood to lose money. What did Clarence Thomas do again?” Greg Price said.
Sonia Sotomayor received over $3 million for her books from Penguin Random House publishing and then didn't recuse herself from a case in which they were involved before SCOTUS where the company stood to lose money.
What did Clarence Thomas do again?https://t.co/PQxF53RmC1
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 4, 2023
“WOW – Justice Sotomayor took $3M from Random House and voted on a key decision where the publisher stood to lose money, even as similarly-positioned colleague recused. Wait until Politico hears about this,” Matt Whitlock said, referring to the website that broke the Justice Thomas story.
WOW – Justice Sotomayor took $3M from Random House and voted on a key decision where the publisher stood to lose money, even as similarly-positioned colleague recused.
Wait until Politico hears about this. https://t.co/IX7OJQOzix
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) May 4, 2023
Ed Krassenstein, a liberal activist, defended Justice Sotomayor and pointed out that Neil Gorsuch also had a business relationship with the publisher.
The allegations against Clarence Thomas and Harlan Crow are definitely not the same as the attacks being made on Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Yes, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor did write a book and she published it through Penguin Random House, as did Justice Gorsuch.
Yes,… pic.twitter.com/tuOWXVNarr
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) May 4, 2023
“The allegations against Clarence Thomas and Harlan Crow are definitely not the same as the attacks being made on Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Yes, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor did write a book and she published it through Penguin Random House, as did Justice Gorsuch. Yes, she did make a fortune,” the activist said.
More on this story via Conservative Brief:
“No, she did not recuse herself from cases involving the publisher. Neither did Gorsuch. Yes, this information was declared. No, there is no rule saying that a judge must recuse themselves from unrelated cases involving a publisher they used. Some judges have recused themselves in these situations, while others have not,” he said. CONTINUE READING…
