Billionaires spent 20+ years flying Supreme Court justices on private jets to secret meetings with the most powerful people in right-wing politics. The justices never told anyone and kept ruling on cases that affected the billionaires' businesses. This is a documented fact — and it's just the beginning.
Lie #1: "Judges can't be bought."
Justice Clarence Thomas accepted luxury vacations, private jet flights, and resort stays from Texas billionaire Harlan Crow for over two decades — none of it disclosed. (1) Crow also purchased Thomas's family home. (2) Justice Samuel Alito flew to Alaska on a jet owned by hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer, then ruled in Singer's favor. (3) Justice Neil Gorsuch sold property to the head of a law firm that regularly argued cases before him. (4)
Lie #2: "It's just a few bad apples."
A Wall Street Journal investigation found 131 federal judges who heard 685 cases involving companies where they personally owned stock. (5) In roughly two-thirds of those rulings, the judges sided with their own financial interests. (5) This is not a handful of rogue judges — it's a nationwide pattern.
Lie #3: "Everyone gets a fair shot in court."
Wealthy litigants have learned to pick their judge before filing a single page. They funnel cases into single-judge courts — like one in Amarillo, Texas — to guarantee a favorable ruling that affects the whole country. (6) Federal judges also sealed safety evidence in roughly half of the biggest product-injury cases, with no explanation, hiding known dangers from regulators and the public. (7)
Lie #4: "The courts protect working people."
One political network spent over $1.6 billion in dark money — money with no required public disclosure — to shape who sits on the Supreme Court. (8) In 2024, that Court struck down a 40-year rule that gave federal agencies the power to set safety standards for your workplace, your food, and your drinking water. The Economic Policy Institute said the ruling "drastically weakens federal agencies and their ability to protect workers' rights." (9)
Lie #5: "This couldn't happen in America."
International monitors say a court is only legitimate if it is impartial and accountable. (10) In Venezuela, after President Chávez's allies packed the Supreme Court, it ruled against the government zero times across 45,000 decisions. (11) America's version used private gifts and secret money instead of legislation — but the result is the same.
When the people who decide your rights quietly answer to billionaires, you no longer have a court. You have a club.
By the Unruled Masses Communications Team
The Unruled Masses Communications Team is a multidisciplinary team of communications professionals, digital strategists, policy analysts, and content creators dedicated to translating complex investigations into compelling public narratives. Specializing in investigative storytelling, accountability journalism, strategic communications, and hopeful community building, our team bridges the gap between rigorous research and public understanding.
Sources
- Brennan Center for Justice — https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/judge-shopping-explained
- Brennan Center for Justice — https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/fair-courts-e-lert-investigation-131-federal-judges-failed-step-down
- Council of Europe (Venice Commission) — https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/venice-commission-new-reform-in-poland-further-undermines-judicial-independence
- Economic Policy Institute — https://www.epi.org/press/supreme-court-ruling-drastically-weakens-federal-agencies-and-their-ability-to-protect-workers-rights/
- The Guardian — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/25/neil-gorsuch-us-supreme-court-property-deal
- Human Rights Watch — https://www.hrw.org/news/2004/06/21/court-packing-law-threatens-venezuelan-democracy
- Knight First Amendment Institute — https://knightcolumbia.org/blog/judicial-secrecy-how-to-fix-the-over-sealing-of-federal-court-records
- ProPublica — https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow
- ProPublica — https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-real-estate-scotus
- ProPublica — https://www.propublica.org/article/samuel-alito-luxury-fishing-trip-paul-singer-scotus-supreme-court
- ProPublica — https://www.propublica.org/article/we-dont-talk-about-leonard-leo-supreme-court-supermajority