
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett meets with Republican Senator from Texas Ted Cruz at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 29, 2020. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Showing 76% of Coney Barrett Rulings Put Corporate Interests Over People, Analysis Warns Confirmation Would 'Supercharge' GOP Agenda
"This nominee would be no friend to the small businesses and workers who continue to struggle during the ongoing public health and economic crises."
A new analysis out Tuesday examining the federal judicial record of Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's controversial U.S. Supreme Court nominee, reveals a pattern of legal thought that critics charge reveals a deeply-held allegiance to right-wing and Republican Party ideology that places the supremacy of corporate power over the needs of both people and planet.
According to the government watchdog Accountable.US, Barrett sided with corporations 76% of the time during the three years in which she's served on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Since being confirmed to the court in October 2017 by Trump, Barrett has ruled on at least 55 cases in which people challenged corporate malfeasance, including:
- A case in which a woman sued pharma giant Teva North America over a faulty IUD.
- The case of a man who claimed his firing from the Chicago Stock Exchange violated whistleblower protections.
- A case in which a railroad employee claimed he had been injured at work using a piece of broken equipment.
Barrett ruled against the plaintiffs in all three of the above cases, as well as dozens more.
"President Trump has consistently advanced the interests of the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of the American people, and his choice of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court would supercharge that agenda."
--Kyle Herrig, Accountable.US
Trump's selection of Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg represents a agenda to favor corporations and the wealthy, said Accountable.US.
"President Trump has consistently advanced the interests of the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of the American people, and his choice of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court would supercharge that agenda," said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US., in a statement. "Judge Barrett's record of protecting corporate interests over people leaves no mystery about her priorities--priorities that could take the nation backwards on many important issues."
The Supreme Court has already leaned corporate-friendly for years, and Trump's appointment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh was criticized in 2018 by watchdog Public Citizen as one that elevated a judge with an "overwhelming tendency to reach conclusions favorable to corporations and against the public interest."
"This nominee would be no friend to the small businesses and workers who continue to struggle during the ongoing public health and economic crises," said Herrig of Barrett.
The Western Priorities Project, a project of Accountable.US, took note of the group's analysis, pointing out that Barrett's loyalty to corporate interests does not bode well for the environment.
Also included in Barrett's decisions while serving on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Western Values Project said in a statement, were a ruling blocking a park preservation group and Chicago residents to stop the construction of the Obama Presidential Center in the city's Jackson Park, and a 2018 ruling which called on the Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider making 13 acres of Illinois wetlands off-limits to housing developers.
"With Amy Coney Barrett's history of repeatedly siding with corporate interests over people, all signs point to her putting Trump's personal agenda ahead of the health and safety of Americans and the nation's public lands," said Western Values Project director Jayson O'Neill. "Trump has already rolled back a historic number of essential public land and environmental protections--earning him the dubious record of being the worst public lands and environmental president in history. But if Barrett is confirmed to the high court, Trump's actions could be upheld, enshrining a lasting threat to our nation's public lands and environmental well-being."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
A new analysis out Tuesday examining the federal judicial record of Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's controversial U.S. Supreme Court nominee, reveals a pattern of legal thought that critics charge reveals a deeply-held allegiance to right-wing and Republican Party ideology that places the supremacy of corporate power over the needs of both people and planet.
According to the government watchdog Accountable.US, Barrett sided with corporations 76% of the time during the three years in which she's served on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Since being confirmed to the court in October 2017 by Trump, Barrett has ruled on at least 55 cases in which people challenged corporate malfeasance, including:
- A case in which a woman sued pharma giant Teva North America over a faulty IUD.
- The case of a man who claimed his firing from the Chicago Stock Exchange violated whistleblower protections.
- A case in which a railroad employee claimed he had been injured at work using a piece of broken equipment.
Barrett ruled against the plaintiffs in all three of the above cases, as well as dozens more.
"President Trump has consistently advanced the interests of the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of the American people, and his choice of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court would supercharge that agenda."
--Kyle Herrig, Accountable.US
Trump's selection of Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg represents a agenda to favor corporations and the wealthy, said Accountable.US.
"President Trump has consistently advanced the interests of the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of the American people, and his choice of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court would supercharge that agenda," said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US., in a statement. "Judge Barrett's record of protecting corporate interests over people leaves no mystery about her priorities--priorities that could take the nation backwards on many important issues."
The Supreme Court has already leaned corporate-friendly for years, and Trump's appointment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh was criticized in 2018 by watchdog Public Citizen as one that elevated a judge with an "overwhelming tendency to reach conclusions favorable to corporations and against the public interest."
"This nominee would be no friend to the small businesses and workers who continue to struggle during the ongoing public health and economic crises," said Herrig of Barrett.
The Western Priorities Project, a project of Accountable.US, took note of the group's analysis, pointing out that Barrett's loyalty to corporate interests does not bode well for the environment.
Also included in Barrett's decisions while serving on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Western Values Project said in a statement, were a ruling blocking a park preservation group and Chicago residents to stop the construction of the Obama Presidential Center in the city's Jackson Park, and a 2018 ruling which called on the Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider making 13 acres of Illinois wetlands off-limits to housing developers.
"With Amy Coney Barrett's history of repeatedly siding with corporate interests over people, all signs point to her putting Trump's personal agenda ahead of the health and safety of Americans and the nation's public lands," said Western Values Project director Jayson O'Neill. "Trump has already rolled back a historic number of essential public land and environmental protections--earning him the dubious record of being the worst public lands and environmental president in history. But if Barrett is confirmed to the high court, Trump's actions could be upheld, enshrining a lasting threat to our nation's public lands and environmental well-being."
A new analysis out Tuesday examining the federal judicial record of Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's controversial U.S. Supreme Court nominee, reveals a pattern of legal thought that critics charge reveals a deeply-held allegiance to right-wing and Republican Party ideology that places the supremacy of corporate power over the needs of both people and planet.
According to the government watchdog Accountable.US, Barrett sided with corporations 76% of the time during the three years in which she's served on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Since being confirmed to the court in October 2017 by Trump, Barrett has ruled on at least 55 cases in which people challenged corporate malfeasance, including:
- A case in which a woman sued pharma giant Teva North America over a faulty IUD.
- The case of a man who claimed his firing from the Chicago Stock Exchange violated whistleblower protections.
- A case in which a railroad employee claimed he had been injured at work using a piece of broken equipment.
Barrett ruled against the plaintiffs in all three of the above cases, as well as dozens more.
"President Trump has consistently advanced the interests of the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of the American people, and his choice of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court would supercharge that agenda."
--Kyle Herrig, Accountable.US
Trump's selection of Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg represents a agenda to favor corporations and the wealthy, said Accountable.US.
"President Trump has consistently advanced the interests of the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of the American people, and his choice of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court would supercharge that agenda," said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US., in a statement. "Judge Barrett's record of protecting corporate interests over people leaves no mystery about her priorities--priorities that could take the nation backwards on many important issues."
The Supreme Court has already leaned corporate-friendly for years, and Trump's appointment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh was criticized in 2018 by watchdog Public Citizen as one that elevated a judge with an "overwhelming tendency to reach conclusions favorable to corporations and against the public interest."
"This nominee would be no friend to the small businesses and workers who continue to struggle during the ongoing public health and economic crises," said Herrig of Barrett.
The Western Priorities Project, a project of Accountable.US, took note of the group's analysis, pointing out that Barrett's loyalty to corporate interests does not bode well for the environment.
Also included in Barrett's decisions while serving on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Western Values Project said in a statement, were a ruling blocking a park preservation group and Chicago residents to stop the construction of the Obama Presidential Center in the city's Jackson Park, and a 2018 ruling which called on the Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider making 13 acres of Illinois wetlands off-limits to housing developers.
"With Amy Coney Barrett's history of repeatedly siding with corporate interests over people, all signs point to her putting Trump's personal agenda ahead of the health and safety of Americans and the nation's public lands," said Western Values Project director Jayson O'Neill. "Trump has already rolled back a historic number of essential public land and environmental protections--earning him the dubious record of being the worst public lands and environmental president in history. But if Barrett is confirmed to the high court, Trump's actions could be upheld, enshrining a lasting threat to our nation's public lands and environmental well-being."

