So-called “Birther Queen” Orly Taitz hadn’t yet heard about the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a $20,000 fine against her when TPMMuckraker reached her on Monday.
But Taitz told TPMMuckraker she is convinced that none of the members of the court read her request, and that clerks made the decision for the justices. She cited a passage from a book co-authored by Justice Antonin Scalia in which, she claimed, Scalia said that less than one percent of cases are actually read by a judge.
“It was never seen by Justice [Clarence] Thomas, there’s not evidence it was seen by Justice Thomas,” Taitz said. “I don’t believe the Justices read a word of the pleadings.” She said she wanted to see the original court document with the signature of a member of the court.
A federal judge’s October 2009 ruling required Taitz, a lawyer and dentist who has filed several suits claiming President Barack Obama is not a natural born citizen, to pay the fine for filing “frivolous” litigation. Taitz was attempting to misuse the federal court system to push her political agenda, the judge said.
Taitz said after Thomas denied her motion, she went to Justice Samuel Alito because he reportedly has his own clerks read the briefs, which he said made him more independent. Alito, claimed Taitz, was also the only member of the court who did not attend a meeting with Obama a few days before his inauguration. She found the meeting inappropriate because she had an open court case involving Obama at the time.
“That’s a clear conflict of interest, that’s lack of impartiality, and Alito was the only justice who didn’t attend this meeting,” Taitz said. “Thousands of people have written to the Supreme Court that this is totally improper.”
Alito’s decision to refer the case to the full court is standard practice, as renewed applications are referred to the full Court to avoid prolonging the procedure, according to Supreme Court experts.
Taitz said reports that there was a lien on her house were untrue, and that she would be able to cover the $20,000 fine with donations from her supporters. “I have means to pay, the public is collecting funds,” Taitz said. She said she received $3,500 in four or five days. “Within a month, I will have the $20,000,” Taitz said. “Most of them are contributing maybe $20, $25 dollars, there’s a lot of support.”
Taitz didn’t see the decision as a setback, claiming the movement is building steam. “According to the latest CNN poll, 6 out of 10 American Citizens doubt Obama is legitimate. How can he continue leading the country with such a record of report?” Taitz said.
As she did last year, Taitz on Monday once again compared herself to Nelson Mandela. “Nelson Mandela was in prison for years, he went against the regime, but ultimately he prevailed,” Taitz said. The fine, said Taitz, “was means of intimidation and harassment.”
She vowed to fight what she said amounted to “a slap in the face of each and every American citizen.”
[Ed. Note: This post has been edited from the original.]
