He's one of the most powerful individuals in the country. His spiderweb of connections is extensive. But most Americans, including many working in Washington, have never heard of him.
What puzzles me the most is how someone like Leo, who I would guess is a true believer in his cause, can cynically play the corrupt games of linking all that dark money with the people who decide our fate on the courts? I guess the ends to require the means in his mind. It is shocking how his hand has been playing in so many different milieu.
If one were a conspiracy theorist they might draw the conclusion that Leo is doing the bidding of the Vatican Nation. Seldom mentioned are all the links and references between Leo and the Vatican. While implied throughout your essay, it's only referenced in the last two words of the essay.
To wit..Leo is a hardcore, fundamentalist Catholic evidenced by his membership in the Knights of Malta among others. As you note..." He’s put five—count ‘em, five!—justices on the Robert's Supreme Court: Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, Sam Alito, and John Roberts. A sixth, Clarence Thomas, is one of his closest friends." However, not mentioned is the fact that all of these "Justices" along with the deceased Scalia, are also fundamentalist Catholics who belong to ultra-conservative Vatican organizations. Gorsuch claims to be an Episcopalian but his affiliation with Vatican orgs and people belie that claim. The list of those complicit at the end of your essay are most if not all, hard core Catholics.
Moreover, a conspiracy theorist might conclude based on recent decisions by these Vatican reps, that they are actively codifying Vatican ideology/theology into our Constitution. As Leo's compatriot, Steven Calabresi claimed, “I think Leonard is motivated by ideology and ideas.". Thus the Carson v. Makin decision which allows the public funding of religious schools most of which are Vatican schools; the KENNEDY v. BREMERTON SCHOOL DIST. decision allowing public workers (teachers and coaches) to lead students in prayer; the Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturning a 50 yr constitutional right. And now artificial contraception as per Vatican theology is on the chopping block according to Thomas. All of these decisions were pushed and lauded by the ultra-conservative Conference of Catholic Bishops because they are all in line with Vatican ideology. The primary opponent of RvW from the git-go was the Vatican. Evangelicals came to the issue only after it became a political wedge when they adopted the extreme views of the Vatican on abortion.
The Vatican has an extensive infrastructure in the U.S. to do its political bidding through such organizations as Opus Dei with whom many of the aforementioned Extreme Court Justices belong. According to a recent Washington Post article, "Opus Dei’s money laundering through their world wide real estate holdings, like their multi-million dollar U.S. headquarter at 243 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016 or their banking syndicates from the now defunct Banco Popular’s destructive wake in Spain, Kenya, South America, Florida’s TotalBank to Opus Bank in Irvine, California, and on and on…They just keep moving the money around through 501(c) organizations and access to the Holy See’s diplomatic bags." Opus Dei is but the tip of the Vatican iceberg of organizations, many of which Leo uses to launder money.
And I won't even begin to cover the Vatican's institutionalized pedophile ring they've been running across the world since it's now been exposed by multiple sources including court documents.
If any other nation had done to the U.S. what the Vatican has done we would have declared war on them.
Few if any of the Vatican's activities have drawn much attention from the MSM. I guess it's hard to believe a religious organization could do such. Unless one were a conspiracy theorist.
I don't know that I would make that characterization. Pope Francis is pretty clearly NOT evil, and as the Bishop of Rome, he runs the Vatican, at least on paper. I'm covering all of this in Part Two.
True that Pope Francis is progressively trying to moderate the Vatican but he's up against an intransigent, millennia old bureaucracy that's more powerful than any one Pope. I never implied he was evil.
Even though he rules as an absolute theocratic monarch at least on paper; Francis still has to contend with the very conservative Vatican Curia, Conference of Bishops, College of Cardinals, corrupt Vatican Bank, and more. Many of his initiatives for reforming the Vatican have been opposed if not obstructed by entrenched interests in the Vatican.
This doesn't come down to just one Pope. Over millennia and under many other Popes the Vatican has honed the MO it's used in the U.S. through its infiltration of many other nations as well. The history is there for all to see including France, Italy, Portugal, present day Poland, Brazil, Central America, Ireland, Southeast Asia and more.
Francis is the exception to the rule given the history of past Popes. The end of his rule draws near. The Vatican will continue long after Francis has passed and the rest of us are dead.
Thanks for this, Craig. I'll cover the religious connections in Part Two.
I will caution that "the Vatican" is too broad of a term here. Leo and the Opus Dei crew are in opposition to Pope Francis, who is in charge. Certainly there are a lot of really good Catholics -- laity and priests -- who do good work, and who want to live in a manner Jesus would approve of, ie, by helping the poor. And I don't care what people believe, but hijacking the government to make us all live in a way that most of us don't is not right in a democracy.
I'll have a lot more to say on this next week. Again, thanks for spelling that all out!
Yes, I should have made the distinction between the laity and those who rule over the Vatican. I use the term "Vatican" for that very reason in order to draw a distinction between the two. The body of the Church is made up of the laity. However, the laity have little to no influence over Vatican activities given its hierarchical, undemocratic rule. And that especially includes Catholic women who make up a large percentage of the those in the pews. I won't even go into the Vatican's obvious misogyny.
The Vatican is a nation that has ambassadors in other nations across the Earth, has its own economic system, political organizations, lobbyists, army, etc. It should be treated as a nation and not allowed to commit crimes in other nations with impunity. When it transgresses the laws and norms in other nations it should be held accountable.
I think we're talking about the same thing. I'm just trying to be as clear and accurate as possible, for anyone who might be trawling the comments looking for a whiff of anti-Catholic bias.
Use this FOLLOW THE MONEY chart which shows how dark money investors funnel funds through Leonard Leo (and others) to stack the Supreme Court and get favorable rulings.
The Demlabs blog regarding evangelicals infiltrating the Extreme Court needs to be rewritten. Given that there are 7 Catholics on the Court with 6 of those Catholics belonging to ultra-conservative, fundamentalist Catholic organizations; that those 6 Catholics were promoted to the SCOTUS with the help of fundamentalist Catholic Leonard Leo; it's not a leap to conclude that it's the Vatican not evangelicals who've infiltrated the Robert's Extreme Court. The other 2 justices are Jews. There are no evangelicals on the SCOTUS.
Yes, true, but I would say "radical Catholics" and not "the Vatican." The conflation of the radical Catholics and the Evangelicals, as you point out, is something I see all over the place, and it's inaccurate and oversimplifies the situation, IMO.
Democrats need to win both Houses of Congress and Presidency in 2024; do away with the Senate filibuster; codify into law an ethics code for the SCOTUS; establish term limits for SCOTUS judges; expand the court to reflect the number of federal judicial districts in the U.S. which would create 4 more seats on the court.
Article III Section 2 of the Constitution.
"In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, WITH SUCH EXCEPTIONS, AND UNDER SUCH REGULATIONS AS THE CONGRESS SHALL MAKE."
Magnificently researched and chronologically written piece Greg! Found a few twists/people I hadn’t any knowledge about thanks, looking forward to the next part!
Having once been engaged in verbal warfare with religion and the Vatican in my youthful dayswith Sister Mary Holy Water and her pedophile pals(priests/brothers) who were either there to educate, or torture us with their mordancy of being the devils children of the 50’s...
Apparently I’m in the minority of Americans that do know who Leo Leo is, but only because I’m an avid reader of Prevail. I’m powerless to do anything about this monstrous abuser of power except to mock his name (since Leo is, or was, a fairly common nickname for Leonard). I’m optimistic that the pendulum of judicial conduct will eventually swing the other way and we’ll have a reasonable SCOTUS again. But it looks like the forces of Good and Mr Leo are locked in a battle for the ages.
Mocking his name is a good start, because then people will recognize it, and him. The more famous he is, the better, for our purposes. He is the poster boy for expanding the court.
None of these people think they are evil, or what they're doing is evil. And yet they bring misery and suffering to a lot of people. It really is an ethical quandary.
Excellent piece, Greg! I really wish you had the reach of a New York Times (failing though it may be!), or the Washington Post. Leo and his minions need to be brought out into the sunlight as much as possible.
I had to stop and go find out what the hell, "Woke Alerts" could possibly be, and of course, it's exactly what it sounds like. A few examples:
WOKE ALERT: DISNEY, BANK OF AMERICA, NASCAR, CHIPOTLE, KOHL’S, & GM
These six companies are funding an underground grooming website known as the Trevor Project
WOKE ALERT: BANK OF AMERICA
Bank of America is watching you. They are monitoring your purchases, tracking your emissions, helping fund abortions, and attacking your Second Amendment rights. Bank of America has gone woke, and it’s completely UnAmerican.
WOKE ALERT: THE NORTH FACE
The North Face goes Woke Targeting Kids for Pride Collection
Of course, I signed up so that I know who they're targeting, and the best places to shop. Assholes.
You answered this to another comment, but as I was reading, I thought, "do evil people KNOW they're being evil?" And no, I guess they don't. The ends ALWAYS justifies the means for them. They can see and hear stories of the ramifications of things like the Dobbs decision and think in their sick minds that it's for the greater good, and besides that, it will NEVER affect them. They're monsters and hypocrites and no one will ever be able to move me from that opinion. They make the world a worse place.
I was a bit heartened this morning to the SCOTUS decision regarding state legislatures and what they are, and what they aren't. It's very good for elections remaining as fair as they can be. I'm not sure how I feel about the free speech case. It sounds like they got into the weeds of what's a threat and what is just talk. Whenever I see a case being decided based on the offender's state of mind, to me it just means they've punted the decision, and I guess they won't revisit it until people die. Don't think for a MINUTE that I'm not appalled at almost agreeing with Amy Coney Barrett! It's like one of the signs of the Apocalypse.
Woke Alerts said they use "STOP" to stop messages, and that stuff is all automated, so I wasn't too worried. If they sell phone numbers, I have endless blocking on my phone, so whatever. The hysteria they have over nothing while they call us "snowflakes," amuses me. I think "The Trevor Project" could sue them for that story, though -- wow, a "grooming" project. WTF?
The Trevor Project is a non-profit that, among other things, provides support for trans kids who are suicidal. And why are trans kids suicidal? Because of abuse by the sort of people who subscribe to Woke Alerts unironically. It's abhorrent.
And the sedevacantism (which I was completely unaware of) reference, wow! Although my wife (Argentine naturalized American) and I love Francis mostly because he’s Argentine!
I didn't know that word, either, and I used it because I like the sound of it. There is much to love about Francis, frankly, not least his country of origin!
Thank you for collating all of this, Greg! It’s even more stark when it’s all laid out like this.
I guess it’s Leonard Leo day. From NYT this AM.
🎁https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/opinion/samuel-alito-clarence-thomas-ethics.html?unlocked_article_code=qBnAzHbvHTAsBQG8p1vXr3OEDq_NgoCIRMhoGTSmGA0-D6rDuE1WI8oHrH7VmQ7Phq8CwwfDiPHhkeszLV5AvBZu0CbgIkVlE229YdwJs2Ccj9FzX1gb95gOHFki70E6Jjk5VdVvgJJ_Y3x_EPWxjxRu7xbfYV3UiOM1Y5BhZDlH41-VCWungk3AvIsbTeutQp0Cpsvxl3t15b8QYgB2kA30GvF7_DXQwZTIf9p4eT5mLJlUaqm_T1VCK_YUIxIcd1_4wTi_fUwa7lpkkohMEdbn853EfREHpl7uKS1OtLSyADHvbuAmq_3WcXQDwEwMX_QbdY6F4GL3I8ZvYNHn_0yJjCQW1jYiNnr_iE4&smid=url-share
Thanks! We have to keep these people in the spotlight. That's the only way to stop their hijacking of our judicial system.
How can we overturn the 2010 Citizens United ruling? With this much power behind it. This is bleak for the US and how can we stop it?
Great info can’t wait for next week
It can't be overturned, but I believe the Constitution can be amended to neutralize it. But amending the Constitution ain't easy.
What puzzles me the most is how someone like Leo, who I would guess is a true believer in his cause, can cynically play the corrupt games of linking all that dark money with the people who decide our fate on the courts? I guess the ends to require the means in his mind. It is shocking how his hand has been playing in so many different milieu.
They are all Machivellian, they play the long game, and they believe the end justifies the means,
The way you piece together the insanity is most appreciated
Thank you.
If one were a conspiracy theorist they might draw the conclusion that Leo is doing the bidding of the Vatican Nation. Seldom mentioned are all the links and references between Leo and the Vatican. While implied throughout your essay, it's only referenced in the last two words of the essay.
To wit..Leo is a hardcore, fundamentalist Catholic evidenced by his membership in the Knights of Malta among others. As you note..." He’s put five—count ‘em, five!—justices on the Robert's Supreme Court: Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, Sam Alito, and John Roberts. A sixth, Clarence Thomas, is one of his closest friends." However, not mentioned is the fact that all of these "Justices" along with the deceased Scalia, are also fundamentalist Catholics who belong to ultra-conservative Vatican organizations. Gorsuch claims to be an Episcopalian but his affiliation with Vatican orgs and people belie that claim. The list of those complicit at the end of your essay are most if not all, hard core Catholics.
Moreover, a conspiracy theorist might conclude based on recent decisions by these Vatican reps, that they are actively codifying Vatican ideology/theology into our Constitution. As Leo's compatriot, Steven Calabresi claimed, “I think Leonard is motivated by ideology and ideas.". Thus the Carson v. Makin decision which allows the public funding of religious schools most of which are Vatican schools; the KENNEDY v. BREMERTON SCHOOL DIST. decision allowing public workers (teachers and coaches) to lead students in prayer; the Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturning a 50 yr constitutional right. And now artificial contraception as per Vatican theology is on the chopping block according to Thomas. All of these decisions were pushed and lauded by the ultra-conservative Conference of Catholic Bishops because they are all in line with Vatican ideology. The primary opponent of RvW from the git-go was the Vatican. Evangelicals came to the issue only after it became a political wedge when they adopted the extreme views of the Vatican on abortion.
The Vatican has an extensive infrastructure in the U.S. to do its political bidding through such organizations as Opus Dei with whom many of the aforementioned Extreme Court Justices belong. According to a recent Washington Post article, "Opus Dei’s money laundering through their world wide real estate holdings, like their multi-million dollar U.S. headquarter at 243 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10016 or their banking syndicates from the now defunct Banco Popular’s destructive wake in Spain, Kenya, South America, Florida’s TotalBank to Opus Bank in Irvine, California, and on and on…They just keep moving the money around through 501(c) organizations and access to the Holy See’s diplomatic bags." Opus Dei is but the tip of the Vatican iceberg of organizations, many of which Leo uses to launder money.
And I won't even begin to cover the Vatican's institutionalized pedophile ring they've been running across the world since it's now been exposed by multiple sources including court documents.
If any other nation had done to the U.S. what the Vatican has done we would have declared war on them.
Few if any of the Vatican's activities have drawn much attention from the MSM. I guess it's hard to believe a religious organization could do such. Unless one were a conspiracy theorist.
100% in agreement Craig, the Vatican should be seen as the axis of evil, with their vast wealth, power and influence on the world!
I don't know that I would make that characterization. Pope Francis is pretty clearly NOT evil, and as the Bishop of Rome, he runs the Vatican, at least on paper. I'm covering all of this in Part Two.
Might not hurt to send Pope St. Francis a copy of both parts of this expose`.
True that Pope Francis is progressively trying to moderate the Vatican but he's up against an intransigent, millennia old bureaucracy that's more powerful than any one Pope. I never implied he was evil.
Even though he rules as an absolute theocratic monarch at least on paper; Francis still has to contend with the very conservative Vatican Curia, Conference of Bishops, College of Cardinals, corrupt Vatican Bank, and more. Many of his initiatives for reforming the Vatican have been opposed if not obstructed by entrenched interests in the Vatican.
This doesn't come down to just one Pope. Over millennia and under many other Popes the Vatican has honed the MO it's used in the U.S. through its infiltration of many other nations as well. The history is there for all to see including France, Italy, Portugal, present day Poland, Brazil, Central America, Ireland, Southeast Asia and more.
Francis is the exception to the rule given the history of past Popes. The end of his rule draws near. The Vatican will continue long after Francis has passed and the rest of us are dead.
My stock reply to my lapsed Catholicism is: Alert me when there's a woman Pope, and maybe I'll consider coming back.
Thanks for this, Craig. I'll cover the religious connections in Part Two.
I will caution that "the Vatican" is too broad of a term here. Leo and the Opus Dei crew are in opposition to Pope Francis, who is in charge. Certainly there are a lot of really good Catholics -- laity and priests -- who do good work, and who want to live in a manner Jesus would approve of, ie, by helping the poor. And I don't care what people believe, but hijacking the government to make us all live in a way that most of us don't is not right in a democracy.
I'll have a lot more to say on this next week. Again, thanks for spelling that all out!
Yes, I should have made the distinction between the laity and those who rule over the Vatican. I use the term "Vatican" for that very reason in order to draw a distinction between the two. The body of the Church is made up of the laity. However, the laity have little to no influence over Vatican activities given its hierarchical, undemocratic rule. And that especially includes Catholic women who make up a large percentage of the those in the pews. I won't even go into the Vatican's obvious misogyny.
The Vatican is a nation that has ambassadors in other nations across the Earth, has its own economic system, political organizations, lobbyists, army, etc. It should be treated as a nation and not allowed to commit crimes in other nations with impunity. When it transgresses the laws and norms in other nations it should be held accountable.
As always, I'm looking forward to your next post.
I think we're talking about the same thing. I'm just trying to be as clear and accurate as possible, for anyone who might be trawling the comments looking for a whiff of anti-Catholic bias.
It is really frightening that this man should have so much power.
Terrifying.
Use this FOLLOW THE MONEY chart which shows how dark money investors funnel funds through Leonard Leo (and others) to stack the Supreme Court and get favorable rulings.
https://thedemlabs.org/2023/06/21/supreme-court-fishy-business-follow-the-money-samuel-alito-paul-singer/
And this one on how Evangelists infiltrated the Supreme Court
https://thedemlabs.org/2022/11/21/how-did-evangelists-infiltrate-the-supreme-court-to-overturn-roe/
There are even more FOLLOW THE MONEY TO THE SUPREME COURT on our website https://thedemlabs.org/blog/?wpv_post_search=supreme&wpv_aux_current_post_id=21&wpv_view_count=1371
The Demlabs blog regarding evangelicals infiltrating the Extreme Court needs to be rewritten. Given that there are 7 Catholics on the Court with 6 of those Catholics belonging to ultra-conservative, fundamentalist Catholic organizations; that those 6 Catholics were promoted to the SCOTUS with the help of fundamentalist Catholic Leonard Leo; it's not a leap to conclude that it's the Vatican not evangelicals who've infiltrated the Robert's Extreme Court. The other 2 justices are Jews. There are no evangelicals on the SCOTUS.
Yes, true, but I would say "radical Catholics" and not "the Vatican." The conflation of the radical Catholics and the Evangelicals, as you point out, is something I see all over the place, and it's inaccurate and oversimplifies the situation, IMO.
Thanks, Deepak!
How can Democrats compete with this? How to outwit a spider?
Democrats need to win both Houses of Congress and Presidency in 2024; do away with the Senate filibuster; codify into law an ethics code for the SCOTUS; establish term limits for SCOTUS judges; expand the court to reflect the number of federal judicial districts in the U.S. which would create 4 more seats on the court.
Article III Section 2 of the Constitution.
"In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, WITH SUCH EXCEPTIONS, AND UNDER SUCH REGULATIONS AS THE CONGRESS SHALL MAKE."
YES !!
(Love you're thoroughness)
There are a lot more of us. That's how we win. Strength in numbers.
🙏💪
Magnificently researched and chronologically written piece Greg! Found a few twists/people I hadn’t any knowledge about thanks, looking forward to the next part!
Having once been engaged in verbal warfare with religion and the Vatican in my youthful dayswith Sister Mary Holy Water and her pedophile pals(priests/brothers) who were either there to educate, or torture us with their mordancy of being the devils children of the 50’s...
Amen.
Thanks, Patrick!
Sister Mary Holy Water, ha!
Good piece! Nice hat. With a provocative list that is (excuse me) “unsettling.”
Thanks. The spider hat also kind of looks like a Pope hat...
Somehow I missed the point in my own Catholic upbringing where I was taught to feed the hungry, and help the poor, et cetera.
Nah, feeding the poor is way down the list now.
Apparently I’m in the minority of Americans that do know who Leo Leo is, but only because I’m an avid reader of Prevail. I’m powerless to do anything about this monstrous abuser of power except to mock his name (since Leo is, or was, a fairly common nickname for Leonard). I’m optimistic that the pendulum of judicial conduct will eventually swing the other way and we’ll have a reasonable SCOTUS again. But it looks like the forces of Good and Mr Leo are locked in a battle for the ages.
Mocking his name is a good start, because then people will recognize it, and him. The more famous he is, the better, for our purposes. He is the poster boy for expanding the court.
I find it so hard to accept that some people are just plain evil. It goes against everything we are as human beings.
None of these people think they are evil, or what they're doing is evil. And yet they bring misery and suffering to a lot of people. It really is an ethical quandary.
WOW! I knew a bit about Leonard here and SCROTUS there but WOW. Thank You. Looking forward (backward) to Part II.
Thanks, MaryPat. And yes: backward. Retrograde.
Excellent piece, Greg! I really wish you had the reach of a New York Times (failing though it may be!), or the Washington Post. Leo and his minions need to be brought out into the sunlight as much as possible.
I had to stop and go find out what the hell, "Woke Alerts" could possibly be, and of course, it's exactly what it sounds like. A few examples:
WOKE ALERT: DISNEY, BANK OF AMERICA, NASCAR, CHIPOTLE, KOHL’S, & GM
These six companies are funding an underground grooming website known as the Trevor Project
WOKE ALERT: BANK OF AMERICA
Bank of America is watching you. They are monitoring your purchases, tracking your emissions, helping fund abortions, and attacking your Second Amendment rights. Bank of America has gone woke, and it’s completely UnAmerican.
WOKE ALERT: THE NORTH FACE
The North Face goes Woke Targeting Kids for Pride Collection
Of course, I signed up so that I know who they're targeting, and the best places to shop. Assholes.
You answered this to another comment, but as I was reading, I thought, "do evil people KNOW they're being evil?" And no, I guess they don't. The ends ALWAYS justifies the means for them. They can see and hear stories of the ramifications of things like the Dobbs decision and think in their sick minds that it's for the greater good, and besides that, it will NEVER affect them. They're monsters and hypocrites and no one will ever be able to move me from that opinion. They make the world a worse place.
I was a bit heartened this morning to the SCOTUS decision regarding state legislatures and what they are, and what they aren't. It's very good for elections remaining as fair as they can be. I'm not sure how I feel about the free speech case. It sounds like they got into the weeds of what's a threat and what is just talk. Whenever I see a case being decided based on the offender's state of mind, to me it just means they've punted the decision, and I guess they won't revisit it until people die. Don't think for a MINUTE that I'm not appalled at almost agreeing with Amy Coney Barrett! It's like one of the signs of the Apocalypse.
I'm glad you bravely signed up. It seems ridiculous, but you're right -- we should all sign up and use it as what TO buy rather than the opposite.
I agree with you completely re: evil.
And I'd like to get the country to a place where we aren't pleasantly surprised when the Court rules in a way that isn't overtly awful and fascist.
Woke Alerts said they use "STOP" to stop messages, and that stuff is all automated, so I wasn't too worried. If they sell phone numbers, I have endless blocking on my phone, so whatever. The hysteria they have over nothing while they call us "snowflakes," amuses me. I think "The Trevor Project" could sue them for that story, though -- wow, a "grooming" project. WTF?
The Trevor Project is a non-profit that, among other things, provides support for trans kids who are suicidal. And why are trans kids suicidal? Because of abuse by the sort of people who subscribe to Woke Alerts unironically. It's abhorrent.
And the sedevacantism (which I was completely unaware of) reference, wow! Although my wife (Argentine naturalized American) and I love Francis mostly because he’s Argentine!
I didn't know that word, either, and I used it because I like the sound of it. There is much to love about Francis, frankly, not least his country of origin!