Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has come under scrutiny after selling a property in Colorado to Brian Duffy, the CEO of major law firm Greenberg Traurig. The 3,000-square-foot home in Granby was co-owned by Gorsuch and two partners and sold for $1.825 million just nine days after his Senate confirmation to the high court in April 2017.
Gorsuch held a 20% stake in the property and profited between $250,001 and $500,000 from the sale according to real estate records. Since then, Greenberg Traurig has been involved in at least 22 cases before or presented to the Supreme Court.
This news follows recent reports of heavy scrutiny on another Supreme Court justice, Clarence Thomas. A ProPublica investigation detailed luxury trips and gifts he received over the years from GOP mega donor Harlan Crow without disclosure.
Democrats have renewed their calls for more stringent ethics rules at the high court as both justices face potential investigations into their financial dealings with influential figures.
"The Senate Judiciary Committee will be closely examining these matters in the coming weeks," said an anonymous source within Congress familiar with ongoing discussions about ethical concerns involving members of judiciary system.
In response to these allegations, a spokesperson for Justice Gorsuch stated: "Justice Gorsuch is committed to upholding ethical standards that serve as foundation for our judicial system."
As public concern about possible conflicts of interest grows around these transactions between powerful individuals within legal circles, it remains uncertain how future proceedings might affect confidence towards decisions made by America's highest court judges.