June 7, 2023

SALTY: A Supreme Court Justice used bagels to prove ethics exist

SALTY: A Supreme Court Justice used bagels to prove ethics exist

With so many GOP-appointed Supreme Court justices being routinely exposed for grifting, it’s now news when we learn one of the nine high court members did the right thing.

While Clarence Thomas was enjoying unreported fancy trips and other luxuries, his colleague Elena Kagan quietly turned down…some bagels from her buddies.

In 2021, a group of women who attended New York City’s Hunter College High School with Justice Kagan (Class of 1977) wanted to send her a care package from a famous Jewish deli.

The platter of bagels and lox from Russ & Daughters Justice Kagan’s classmates bought was intended to be a “care package” for the only Jewish member of SCOTUS during the heights of the pandemic.

But as one of Kagan’s classmates posted on Facebook (embedded below) last week, the pragmatic Justice turned down the appetizing gift due to “ethical concerns.” Forward reports:

Writer Sarah Schulman wrote on May 6th that the care package for Kagan was envisioned “as a sign of support for the nightmare of having to go to work with Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch every day. She turned it down because her ethical standard is to not accept any gifts. I mean, she said no to lox and bagels!”

Maybe they should’ve offered to buy her mother’s house instead.

It’s definitely a stark comparison to Justice Clarence Thomas and his bestie, Harlan “Jim” Crow (nickname: mine), who loves Nazi memorabilia and buying property from Black people to gain influence over the Supreme Court.

Crow’s gifts, favors, trips, and real estate transactions to Thomas are estimated to be in the millions of dollars.

Among those favors for the longest-tenured Republican-appointed Justice include Crow purchasing Thomas’ mother’s home and paying private school tuition for Thomas’ grandnephew, whom he raised like a son.

A bagel with lox and a schmear seems tame by comparison, nu?

Ann Starer, who was two years ahead of Kagan at Hunter, said the justice wrote that she wanted her schoolmates to know it was the thought that counts.

“I’m very grateful,” wrote Justice Kagan after declining to accept the bagel platter.

The irony was not lost on the court of public opinion that is Twitter.

 

 

*THIS IS AN OPINION COLUMN THAT SOLELY REPRESENTS THE OPINIONS OF TARA DUBLIN. HOORAY FOR THE FREE PRESS!*

 

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Tara Dublin

Tara Dublin is a woefully unrepresented writer who thinks more people would read her cool rock & roll love story inspired by Dave Grohl than any ghostwritten GOP crapbook, agents & publishers. Follow Tara on Twitter @taradublinrocks