Supreme Court Justices' Ethical Dilemmas: Book Promotions and Campus Visits

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's staff has been actively encouraging public institutions, including libraries and colleges, to purchase her books, which have earned her at least $3.7 million since joining the court in 2009. The documents obtained through public records requests reveal that taxpayer-funded court staff have been involved in organizing speaking engagements and book signings for Sotomayor, a practice prohibited for members of Congress and the executive branch. While Sotomayor's actions raise ethical concerns, the Supreme Court lacks a formal code of conduct, allowing the justices to largely write and enforce their own rules. Critics argue that such promotional efforts risk damaging the court's public standing and place individual justices above the institution itself.