Rut roh, Judge should have disqualified himself

[Chris]

Oh snap, this is making the rounds on the wire services. Federal judge Henry E. Hudson's ownership of a stake worth between $15,000 and $50,000 in a GOP political consulting firm called Campaign Solutions, a firm that worked against health care reform -- the very law against which he ruled today also... Federal judges are required by statute to disqualify themselves from hearing a case whenever their impartiality might reasonably be questioned. It's a hyper-protective rule and for good reason. At the very least, his continued financial interest in Campaign Solutions undermines the perceived legitimacy of his decision. Hmmm... What is done in the dark shall come to the light.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The firm looks to be a consulting firm that has worked on 100's of projects.
I don't see this as serious, in fact it is quite possible the Judge didn't know he had investments in this company.

 

[Avatar4321]

I see. Cant win on the arguments so you need to attack the judge.

Sad, but not surprising. You could avoid this, however, if you just passed constitutional bills.

 

[Sallow]

There's no law stating anything about having to recuse yourself for conflict of interests..it's just the ethical thing to do..

And we all know what conservatives think about ethics.

 

[The Infidel]

I see. Cant win on the arguments so you need to attack the judge.

Sad, but not surprising. You could avoid this, however, if you just passed constitutional bills.

Just ask Sarah

 

[Political Junky]

The GOP's self-destructive jihad against healthcare reform - How the World Works - Salon.com

Welcome to the Banana Republic.

 

[goldcatt]

If there's anything to it, it will be one of many issues on appeal I'm sure. The 4th Circuit is going to have some fun with this one before they punt it up the line. Let 'em earn their money the old-fashioned way.

 

[Chris]

It reminds me of the Republican who was behind the immigration law in Arizona.

He builds private prisons, so any increase in arrests makes money for him.

 

[Avatar4321]

sounds to me you just dont like arguing on the merits or lack the ability

 

[del]

Oh snap, this is making the rounds on the wire services. Federal judge Henry E. Hudson's ownership of a stake worth between $15,000 and $50,000 in a GOP political consulting firm called Campaign Solutions, a firm that worked against health care reform -- the very law against which he ruled today also... Federal judges are required by statute to disqualify themselves from hearing a case whenever their impartiality might reasonably be questioned. It's a hyper-protective rule and for good reason. At the very least, his continued financial interest in Campaign Solutions undermines the perceived legitimacy of his decision. Hmmm... What is done in the dark shall come to the light.

oh, snap, he's made all the appropriate disclosures and is a passive investor in the firm. you also forgot the part where his old law firm has represented the VA AG in the past. have another almond, huffpo boi

cheer up

 

[Madeline]

What an odd investment for a federal judge to have....surely this will impact other decisions he has made, if it impacts any. Even federal judges are human and make errors in judgment, but boy howdy I hope he has an explanation.

 

[Chris]

Republicans always have money ties that pay off for their political positions.

It's what they do.

 

[del]

What an odd investment for a federal judge to have....surely this will impact other decisions he has made, if it impacts any. Even federal judges are human and make errors in judgment, but boy howdy I hope he has an explanation.

UPDATE: Campaign Solutions, Inc. sent over the following statement detailing Hudson's investment in the firm.

Judge Hudson has owned stock in Campaign Solutions going back 13 years to the founding of the company or well before he became a federal judge. Since joining the federal bench, he has fully disclosed his stock ownership in the company. He is a passive investor only, has no knowledge of the day to day operations of the firm, and has never discussed any aspect of the business with any official of the company.

Henry Hudson, Judge In Health Care Lawsuit, Has Financial Ties To Attorney General Bringing The Case

 

[Chris]

Cheney was a passive investor in Halliburton for eight years.

I think they made some money in Iraq during that time period.

 

[del]

Cheney was a passive investor in Halliburton for eight years.

I think they made some money in Iraq during that time period.

the cheney card played so early?

tsk

 

[Chris]

NPR spent the past several months analyzing hundreds of pages of campaign finance reports, lobbying documents and corporate records. What they show is a quiet, behind-the-scenes effort to help draft and pass Arizona Senate Bill 1070 by an industry that stands to benefit from it: the private prison industry.

The law could send hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to prison in a way never done before. And it could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in profits to private prison companies responsible for housing them.

Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce says the bill was his idea. He says it's not about prisons. It's about what's best for the country.

"Enough is enough," Pearce said in his office, sitting under a banner reading "Let Freedom Reign." "People need to focus on the cost of not enforcing our laws and securing our border. It is the Trojan horse destroying our country and a republic cannot survive as a lawless nation."

But instead of taking his idea to the Arizona statehouse floor, Pearce first took it to a hotel conference room.

It was last December at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. Inside, there was a meeting of a secretive group called the American Legislative Exchange Council. Insiders call it ALEC.

It's a membership organization of state legislators and powerful corporations and associations, such as the tobacco company Reynolds American Inc., ExxonMobil and the National Rifle Association. Another member is the billion-dollar Corrections Corporation of America — the largest private prison company in the country.

It was there that Pearce's idea took shape.

"I did a presentation," Pearce said. "I went through the facts. I went through the impacts and they said, 'Yeah.'"

Prison Economics Help Drive Ariz. Immigration Law : NPR

 

[Danaelle]

yea and this really frickin sux too. I dont like the mandatory purchase thing, I agree that it is unconstitutional, I wish a judge who didnt have his head up his ass was the one to rule it. Now, the whole thing has to be canned.

 

[auditor0007]

The GOP's self-destructive jihad against healthcare reform - How the World Works - Salon.com

Welcome to the Banana Republic.

This article hits the nail on the head. Everything being done to derail these reforms are putting us one step closer to single payer.

 

[Intense]

Oh snap, this is making the rounds on the wire services. Federal judge Henry E. Hudson's ownership of a stake worth between $15,000 and $50,000 in a GOP political consulting firm called Campaign Solutions, a firm that worked against health care reform -- the very law against which he ruled today also... Federal judges are required by statute to disqualify themselves from hearing a case whenever their impartiality might reasonably be questioned. It's a hyper-protective rule and for good reason. At the very least, his continued financial interest in Campaign Solutions undermines the perceived legitimacy of his decision. Hmmm... What is done in the dark shall come to the light.

It did come to light, very eloquently in the ruling. Impressive. Had we more Justices like him, this Country would be so much better off that it is now. Statist Control Freaks hit a road bump, live with it.

 

[goldcatt]

yea and this really frickin sux too. I dont like the mandatory purchase thing, I agree that it is unconstitutional, I wish a judge who didnt have his head up his ass was the one to rule it. Now, the whole thing has to be canned.

I'd agree the opinion was sloppy, but if the investment was fully disclosed and the Rules of Judicial Conduct were followed this is a big yawn of a non-issue.

If it's that important to anybody, that's what the appellate court is for. They and only they decide if anything gets "canned", and then somebody else will review their decision to make sure they got it right. Let it work through the system, they get a hell of a lot more info than we do.