The Community Rights Counsel has filed ethics violation charges against three federal judges who sit on the board of the Montana-based Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment, which favors "business-based solutions to environmental issues."

One of the judges targeted by the charges is Douglas Ginsburg, chief judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, who co-wrote a 1999 opinion that struck down parts of the Clean Air Act. Ginsburg's ruling was later overturned by the Supreme Court.

Ginsburg served on the organization's board with Edward Warren, an oil industry lawyer who argued the 1999 case. According to CRC, Warren also gave lectures to judges at FREE seminars while the case was still pending.

"Participating on FREE's board gave Warren the opportunity to spend days at a time with Chief Judge Ginsburg at Montana resorts with a very small group of other board members," CRC wrote in the complaint.
Ginsburg did not comment on the complaint.

CRC officials said they are only seeking that the judges leave the FREE board (AP/Billings Gazette <http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?display=rednews/2004/03/23/build/state/36-judges-advocacy.inc>, March 23). -- AK

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