That chief executives might seek to curry undue favor from the judiciary by using their power of nomination is a consistent and well-known concern. And this is the main reason why Supreme Court appointments are so intensely scrutinized.
There are many ways that the ideal delicate balance between branches of government can be corrupted. For example, President Jair Bolsonaro has said on multiple occasions that former Justice Minister Sergio Moro joined his cabinet with the clear aim of ending up on the Supreme Court bench. Mr. Moro denies ever making such a request, either implicitly or explicitly, as doing...
