Corrupt SCOTUS Judges Harm Us Nationally AND Locally

How do we prevent corrupt MAGA judges from getting their protégé's elected on the State and Local level? Here's how - a case study

How do we decide which judge deserves our vote? With politicians it is easier because we can look at their voting record. But with judges, who has time to read lengthy court opinions, much less make sense of what they mean in ordinary language? As an attorney, I don’t want judges on the bench who lack ethics or respect for our core values of equal justice before the law. So, I write this to provide readers with a clear outline of how to properly evaluate your judges before giving them your sacred vote. And yes, your vote is sacred, so you should safeguard it closely.

In my home state of Illinois, judges are elected. This helps ensure voters have more control over our courts. The downside is the outsized influence by right wing donors and judges on the national level to help elect right wing judges on the local and state level. And rather than tell you, let me show you an example of what’s happening in my own local/state judicial election right now. This is a terrifying example of how a lawyer trained by pro MAGA SCOTUS Justice Clarance Thomas is attempting to become an Illinois appellate judge by less than ethical means. How do we prevent this from happening? Let’s Address This.

Justice Clarence Thomas has a record of decades of corruption.

Three Questions To Ask When Evaluating Judges

Let me start by saying if you’re in Illinois and in the counties of Dupage, Will, Grundy, LaSalle, Kankakee, Iroquois, or Bureau, you should vote for Judge John Anderson for appellate court. I can personally vouch for his character, integrity, legal scholarship, and fairness. But this article is not about a campaign endorsement, it’s about informing voters on how to elect good judges.

This matters. Bad judges got us Citizens United, flooding our politics with corrupt dark money. Bad judges gutted the EPA, decimating our climate protection. Bad judges overturned Roe v Wade, making life hell for tens of millions of women nationwide. Bad judges gutted the Voting Rights Act, reviving Jim Crow fascism. Bad judges gave Donald Trump immunity, giving him dictatorial powers. And those same bad judges, like Clarence Thomas who made each of the aforementioned atrocious rulings, are now trying to elect a man named Kenton Skarin to the Illinois Appeals Court. We cannot let that happen.

As you vote in this election, or any election, vet judges with these three key questions:

1. Who trained the judge on the ballot?

2. What are that judge’s full qualifications and ratings?

3. In attacking their opponent on issues unrelated to their judicial qualifications, what is this judge trying to hide about their own record?

Let’s apply these questions to a real life example of Kenton Skarin’s campaign against Judge John Anderson.

The Dangers of Judicial Candidate Kenton Skarin’s Lies by Omission

At first glance, Kenton Skarin’s campaign tries to paint him as a judge who give “fair results, not politics.” Unfortunately, his record speaks to quite the contrary. Skarin’s campaign has been marked by lies of omission that mislead voters about his own record, while attacking the character of Judge John Anderson. This lack of transparency is not just troubling—it should be disqualifying for anyone seeking to serve on the Illinois Appellate Court. Below I share three examples of Skarin’s lies by omission, and how you as the voter can spot them going forward.

Lie by Omission #1: Skarin Hides Who Trained Him To Be A Judge

Skarin has gone to great lengths to brag about his experience clerking for the U.S. Supreme Court, writing on his website, “Judge Skarin clerked for the United States Supreme Court.” (emphasis his). Remarkably, Skarin refuses to acknowledge that he clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas—a man mired in controversy and corruption. Justice Thomas has faced numerous allegations of accepting unethical gifts and bribes, has refused to recuse himself despite clear conflicts of interest, and his wife was involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. How close is Kenton Skarin to Justice Thomas? Close enough that Justice Thomas flew to DuPage County to attend Skarin’s swearing in to the bench. Dupage County auditor Bob Grogan wrote:

Congrats to our two newest DuPage Judges, Kenton Skarin and Michael Fleming. We had the added honor of having US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and IL Supreme Court Justice Bob Thomas give wonderfully insightful, humble, and humorous remarks.

In 2019, Justice Thomas flew to DuPage County, Illinois to attend Kenton Skarin’s swearing in ceremony to the DuPage County bench.

Skarin's failure to mention this significant part of his background on his campaign website speaks volumes. If he’s so proud of his Supreme Court clerkship, why omit the fact that it was with one of the most corrupt justices in modern history? Most recently, Justice Thomas ruled to give Trump effective Presidential immunity from criminal behavior—a staple of The Heritage Foundation’s fascist Project 2025 initiative. It is of no surprise, therefore, that when Kenton Skarin worked in the Governor Rauner administration, he engaged with The Heritage Foundation on their anti-Union efforts.

In short, Clarance Thomas is the Judge who trained Kenton Skarin, a fact Skarin goes at great lengths to hide. Electing Skarin is effectively electing a protégé of Thomas—someone who shares his values and judgment (or lack thereof). Illinois cannot afford a judge who has learned from, and written opinions for, a man so deeply corrupt.

Lie by Omission #2: Skarin Misleads Voters About His Qualifications

Another key misrepresentation in Skarin's campaign is his focus on bar poll scores—where he claims superiority over Judge Anderson. Skarin misleads voters, because bar poll scores are just one aspect of the Illinois State Bar Association's (ISBA) full rating system. These polls do not paint the full picture of a judge’s qualifications.

Screen grab of Kenton Skarin’s ad, falsely alleging he is a higher rated judge than John John Anderson.

The overall ISBA evaluation covers 12 criteria, not just the three that Skarin cites. Accordingly, the ISBA gave Judge Anderson the highest possible rating: “Highly Recommended.” Skarin, on the other hand, received only a “Recommended” rating from the ISBA. Below is what a full picture of the two judicial candidates actually looks like—once we remove Kenton Skarin’s distorted view.

Accurate head to head comparison between Judge John Anderson and Kenton Skarin.

In addition to the higher rating, Judge Anderson has nearly double the years of legal experience, four times the number of degrees, and the only judge on the ballot to have argued before the Illinois Supreme Court or have reported cases argued before the Illinois Appellate Court. It’s clear why Skarin attempts to hide this from voters.

Consider this: If Kenton Skarin refuses to acknowledge the full picture on something as straight forward as judicial qualifications between himself and his opponent, how can he be trusted to acknowledge the full picture when hearing complex cases that can make or break someone’s life or livelihood? The answer is, he cannot be trusted. We would not accept that misleading behavior in a job interview, and it isn’t behavior we should accept of a person seeking the prestigious office of appellate judge.

In short, Judge Anderson’s "Highly Recommended" rating speaks to his integrity, experience, and overall fitness for the role—qualities Skarin cannot match.

Lie by Omission #3: Skarin Attacks Judge Anderson’s Past While Hoping Voters Ignore His Own

It would be one thing if Kenton Skarin critiqued Judge Anderson’s rulings or record on the bench—but he doesn’t. Instead, the only ‘dirt’ he can find on his opponent are traffic violations from literally the last century. If traffic tickets disqualify someone from being a judge, why is Skarin silent about Justice Thomas’ dozens of ethics violations for taking bribes from billionaire Harlon Crow, among others? While Judge Anderson owns up to his past mistakes and shows a commitment to self-improvement, Skarin's omission of his deep ties to Thomas suggests a lack of transparency and accountability. Why does Skarin attack Judge Anderson’s driving record? Because he knows Judge Anderson’s record on the bench is stellar and unassailable, and the ‘worst’ thing about him is traffic infractions from his youth. If anything, this is an admission from Skarin about Judge Anderson’s good judgment and good character, and voters should take note.

Meanwhile, Skarin’s association with MAGA Justice Thomas should be a red flag for anyone concerned with ethics and judicial integrity. Skarin’s campaign ad claims he puts ‘fairness above politics’—yet he attacks Judge Anderson for his decades old driving record while ignoring his own mentor’s decades of corruption currently destroying our republic. That’s both unfair, and pure politics. In short, we need judges who recognize fairness is about your actions, not empty words, and Skarin does not pass that test.

Conclusion: Illinois Deserves Judge John Anderson

Kenton Skarin is scaring voters into voting for him. We must reject the fear mongering. Skarin’s lies by omission—about his mentorship with Justice Clarence Thomas, his misleading focus on bar poll scores, and his meritless attacks on Judge Anderson—are individually disqualifying, and collectively mortifying.

I hope you found value in this case study of how to properly evaluate judges before casting your ballot. Illinois cannot afford to place a protégé of Clarence Thomas on the Appellate Court. The stakes are too high. We’ve seen the harm bad judges can do, and that’s why we need to elect good judges like Judge John Anderson in Illinois, and around the country.

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