David Skaggs: “I think everybody here would agree that it would be unfair for a judge to accept an expense paid vacation from one party…”

“I think everybody here would agree that it would be unfair for a judge to accept an expense paid vacation from one party in a lawsuit. That is why there are judicial ethics rules against accepting gifts from anyone who is likely to appear in a judge's court. But suppose a corporation, instead of paying directly, gives money to a foundation to pay for the vacation indirectly. Does that make it all right? Of course not. Believe it or not, it happens routinely, and apparently it is okay under the current reading of the Judicial Code of Conduct. Earlier this year, The Washington Post reported that a substantial number of Federal judges had attended or were planning to attend seminars run by a group called the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment, known by the acronym FREE. FREE, with funding from several oil and mining companies and other groups, invited Federal judges to a Montana guest ranch for seminars on alternatives to traditional environmental laws. The ethical implications of these vacation seminars need careful review. That is why I authored report language to the Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary Appropriations bill requesting the Judicial Conference to examine the ethical considerations that bear on judges' decisions to attend this type of seminar.”