Nothing to See Here: #TexasFoldEm judge to hang out w/Federalist Society, Clarence Thomas & Circuit Court Appeals judges right after oral arguments.

via Amy Lotven of Inside Health Politics...

Ethics Prof Says TX Judge's Attendance At Federalist Society Event Doesn't Cross Line
August 28, 2018 

The judge overseeing the high-profile case over the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, which could potentially land at the Supreme Court, is slated to attend a Federalist Society event featuring Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas -- and several members of the federal circuit court of appeals that would review the case before it landed at the high court. A key ethic professor suggests the Texas' judge's appearance at the event does not cross any lines.

Judge Reed O'Connor is also slated to monitor a panel entitled “Trump, Sessions and the States,” during the Texas Chapter meeting on Sept. 8, just days after the Sept. 5 arguments in the federal Texas court are scheduled.

Inside Health Policy asked ethics experts whether O'Connor's appearance pushed the envelope on judicial ethics, and those that responded generally suggested his appearance at the event is not an issue.

The American Bar Association, which has a set of canons to which members of the judiciary are expected to abide, as a policy does not respond to questions on specific ethics issues. Under the canons, judges are asked to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

Bruce Green, who directs the Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics at Fordham Law School, says the Supreme Court justices and federal appellate judges are not subject to the ABA canon. Additionally, he says, judges can attend and speak at educational programs about the law.

Nothing at all to be concerned about, I'm sure.