While Clarence and Ginni traveled the world with a megadonor, Judge Elena Kagan turned down a gift of bagels and lox from a group of high school friends. She feared it would violate the court’s ethics rules. Eh! So apparently the rules are pretty clear, but not clear enough for someone who was determined to ignore them. Via Insider:
The Forward reported that friends who attended Hunter College High School in Manhattan with Kagan in the 1970s wanted to send him a “care package” of bagels, lox, babka, chocolates and other inexpensive items in February 2021.
However, they later scrapped the idea after Kagan raised concerns about issues it could pose under the Supreme Court’s rules on gifts and disclosures, per Forward.
“We thought it would be a sign of support to send her lox, but she was too ethical to take the lox,” Sarah Schulman, a former school friend, told the outlet.
WHAT? A SUPREME COURT JUDGE WHO REFUSED AN INEXPENSIVE DONATION? WHAT A SHOCK!!!
Another Hunter College High School alumnus, Ann Starer, told the Forward that Kagan was touched by the offer, but it “created more stress on her than it was worth.”
She said Kagan sent her an email, which reportedly said, “I must take these ethical and reporting considerations very seriously.”
GOOD! Good to know someone do.
Just another reminder why voting matters.