The nation watched as Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett bravely recounted a recent swatting attack on her home and repeated intimidation tactics against her family. It was a stark reminder of the escalating violence targeting America's highest court, especially its conservative members, who just months ago faced a bombing attempt and a near-assassination plot against Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Yet, instead of a moment of unity in condemning these threats, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., chose to hijack the solemn occasion. During a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, DeLauro shamelessly diverted the discussion from actual physical danger to baseless accusations of judicial "bribery," implying justices improperly accept gifts. The contrast couldn't be starker: real threats to life and limb dismissed for manufactured political theater.
Justice Barrett appeared before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government alongside Justice Elena Kagan, who first highlighted the critical need for increased security. Barrett then shared her harrowing personal experiences. She described how, around the time of the Dobbs leak, her security team sent her home with a bulletproof vest. This leak, which preceded the monumental decision overturning Roe v. Wade, triggered an unprecedented wave of threats against conservative justices.
We remember Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was nearly murdered due to the leak when a mentally ill man who now identifies as a female showed up to his home armed with a Glock 17 pistol, ammunition, lock picks, duct tape, pepper spray, and other sinister items. This extremist was reportedly motivated by maps of "extremist justices" doxxed by radical leftist groups like Ruth Sent Us and Vigil for Democracy, which explicitly targeted Justices Barrett, Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and John Roberts.
Justice Barrett brought the chilling reality to the present, confirming a recent swatting incident at her home. "Six weeks ago, I was the victim of a swatting incident. At that point, my teenage son … opened the door to go out with friends and saw in our street, it was full of police cars who had responded to a false report of gun shots and raised voices in my home," Barrett testified. She expressed "gratitude" that Supreme Court police were present, quickly clarifying it was "a false alarm, and so the police did not actually attempt to enter our home." This vigilance likely averted a potentially tragic escalation.
"Many of us, me included, have received threatening anonymous deliveries designed to intimidate and harass us," she continued, underscoring the pervasive atmosphere of intimidation. It's a climate where, just last fall, a man was arrested on bomb charges after appearing at a Mass traditionally attended by Supreme Court justices, strapped with a Molotov cocktail.
But rather than address these tangible threats to the lives of judges and the independence of the judiciary, Representative DeLauro launched into an attack on the Court's ethics, effectively prioritizing political posturing over public safety.
"As members of Congress, we follow very strict gift and ethics rules," DeLauro asserted, attempting to draw a false equivalence. She claimed, "But as justices of the Supreme Court, you can and do accept these gifts without any committee or without hesitation... The Supreme Court does not have a gift ban or a binding code of ethics." She pushed, "Is this a time to make this a requirement instead of a suggestion?" – as if the urgent issue of judicial safety could wait for a lecture on unsubstantiated ethics claims.
Justice Barrett calmly debunked DeLauro's insinuations, clarifying that the Court adheres to "the restrictions of the judicial conference of the United States," and confirming that "there are restrictions" on justices' ability to receive gifts. She further noted that justices operate under contribution limits and are subject to disclosure requirements akin to those for members of Congress.
This hearing was meant to highlight the very real, very dangerous threats facing America's Supreme Court justices, particularly those on the conservative bench targeted by the radical left. Instead, a Democrat lawmaker chose to exploit the platform, deflecting from violence and intimidation to propagate tired, baseless smears about "ethics." It’s a transparent tactic, revealing how some on the left prioritize delegitimizing conservative jurists over ensuring their basic safety and upholding the rule of law. Americans deserve leaders who confront actual threats, not invent political distractions to undermine the institutions that protect our freedoms.
