Brett Kavanaugh partying with Matt Gaetz raises questions

Concern was raised by progressive activists after he emerged Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh attended a Christmas party with a number of prominent right-wingers, such as House Rep Matt Gaetz and Stephen Miller, former senior adviser to donald trump.

According Politicsthe party was hosted by Matt Schlapp, president of the Union of American Conservatives, with his wife, Mercedes, Friday at their home in Alexandria, Virginia.

Other guests included Sean Spicer and Sebastian Gorkawho served the Trump administration as press secretary and deputy assistant to the president respectively.

Kavanaugh has served on the Supreme Court since October 6, 2018, after being appointed by President Trump.

Although Supreme Court justices are not bound by the same rules as federal judges, they are expected to maintain high ethical standards.

Speaking to Bloomberg Law, Professor Tonja Jacobi, of Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, said: “Supreme Court justices should be extremely careful not only not to have real ethical difficulties, but also not to look like an ethical puzzle.”

Miller is president of the America’s First Legal Foundation (AFLF), which he says “protect America first, last and always” using “relentless litigation and oversight”.

Bloomberg Law reports that the AFLF has an interest in the cases that are to appear before the Supreme Court.

Reacting to the news, legal campaign group Citizens for Ethics tweeted: “Brett Kavanaugh attended a private party Friday night at the home of CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp and attendees included Stephen Miller, whose group America First Legal Foundation has interests in cases currently pending before the Supreme Court.”

Victor Shi, the youngest elected delegate for Joe Biden in 2020, responded by questioning the impartiality of conservative justices.

He tweeted: “I’m not kidding here: Sitting Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was partying with Matt Gaetz, Stephen Miller, Sebastian Gorka, Erik Prince and other right-wing extremists the other day. How can we look at these Republican Supreme Court justices and take them more seriously?

“It’s hard to take Supreme Court justices seriously when they’re around people who literally want to destroy democracy.”

Concerns have also been expressed by Tristan Snell, a lawyer involved in a lawsuit against Trump University.

he tweeted: “Brett Kavanaugh happened to be at a party with Matt Gaetz, Stephen Miller and Erik Prince, all of whom may soon be implicated in various federal crimes. Remember this one for later.”

In June, the Supreme Court ruled five to four that reversed Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 decision that put forward a constitutional right to abortion. Kavanaugh was one of the judges who supported the decision.

That same month, Nicholas Roske was arrested outside Kavanaugh’s home in Maryland, armed with a knife and a gun, reportedly told police he planned to kill the judge, in part because of his stance on abortion.

Newsweek contacted Judge Brett Kavanaugh for comment.