Cory Booker Announces His SCOTUS ‘Mission’

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) sharply criticized the Supreme Court during an appearance Monday on MS NOW’s “The Beat,” calling the court “corrupt” and “compromised” while arguing that its recent decisions have shifted power away from ordinary Americans.

Booker said the current Supreme Court is unlike any the country has seen before. In his view, the court has repeatedly issued rulings that weaken the rights and influence of everyday people while strengthening corporations, wealthy individuals, and political power centers.

“We have a corrupt and compromised court in a way we’ve never seen in American history,” Booker said. He accused the justices of “continuing to make decisions that pull power away from everyday Americans,” citing cases involving reproductive rights, voting rights, and access to the courts.

Booker also pointed to recent rulings affecting lawsuits against major corporations, including companies such as Monsanto and Bayer. He argued that the court has made it harder for people to challenge large corporations successfully, saying the decisions favor “the wealthy and the powerful against the people.”

The New Jersey Democrat then turned to the issue of independent federal agencies. He warned that recent Supreme Court decisions could undermine agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Booker said the FTC plays a key role in protecting consumers from unfair mergers and excessive corporate concentration. He also defended the CFPB, saying it has returned large sums of money to consumers who were harmed by big banks and other financial institutions.

According to Booker, weakening the independence of those agencies could leave them vulnerable to political pressure. He said agency after agency could end up “at the behest of powerful people,” including the president, whom Booker accused of not caring about ordinary people and of being willing to turn independent agencies into political tools.

Booker said his criticism of the court is not rhetorical. He said he intends to push for stronger ethics rules for Supreme Court justices.

“I say this court is corrupt, and I’m making it my mission to bring this court under ethics laws,” he said.

Booker argued that Supreme Court justices should be subject to tougher standards, especially given reports of justices accepting expensive gifts and travel from wealthy individuals. He referred to “unlimited gifts from billionaires,” including RVs, tuition, and lavish vacations, and said billionaires have “swarmed around this court,” influencing and compromising it.