What kind of 'lingering questions' surround Scalia's visit to ranch where he died?
Who attended the weekend visit to Cibolo Creek Ranch where Justice Antonin Scalia died over the weekend? And would Scalia have been required to disclose the free lodging?
Those are among the “lingering questions” surrounding Scalia’s visit, the Washington Post reports.
“Justice Antonin Scalia’s sudden death over the weekend at a West Texas ranch raised questions about the nature of his travel, who paid for the trip and whether justices are subject to the same disclosure guidelines as other judges or federal officials,” the article says.
Multimillionaire businessman John Poindexter says he never charges his guests for their accommodations, and he didn’t charge Scalia. Poindexter did not pay for Scalia’s charter flight to the ranch, however.
Poindexter owns a company with seven subsidiaries. One of them was a defendant in an age bias case in which the U.S. Supreme Court denied cert last year, the article says.
New York University law professor Stephen Gillers, who teaches legal ethics, told the Post that the visit could raise concerns about access to Scalia by those at the ranch who have an interest in the courts. Similar concerns may be raised when judges attend seminars or educational events, he said.
It’s unclear whether Scalia would have had to report the free ranch stay, Gillers said. The 1978 Ethics in Government Act requires federal judges to report reimbursements related to travel of at least $335. But an exemption applies to “food, lodging or entertainment received as a personal hospitality.”
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has said justices comply with reporting provisions, although the Supreme Court has never addressed whether Congress could impose those requirements on the justices.