Gorsuch supporters fend off plagiarism claims

Less than 24 hours before Senate Republicans are expected to end debate and deploy the so-called “nuclear option” to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, the judge’s critics are accusing him of plagiarism. Passages in one chapter of his book on euthanasia, which developed from his dissertation at Oxford University, are very similar to an Indiana Law Journal article. The passages deal with facts involving the case of a baby born with a disability. Abigail Lawlis Kuzma, the author of the law journal article, defended Gorsuch’s use of her work, noting that facts can only be restated so many ways. Princeton University professor Robert George also defended Gorsuch, saying the judge never claimed credit for others’ insights or analysis. The other instance of alleged plagiarism involves an academic article Gorsuch wrote in 2000. White House spokesman Steven Cheung called the accusations a “baseless, last-minute” attempt to derail the Gorsuch nomination.