Just to make clear for any non-lawyers, non-federal employees, non-judges.
In law school, EVERY student has to take a course on ethics.
Every aspiring lawyer has to pass a test on ethics, and be cleared by some panel on things ethical.
Every lawyer has to pay annual dues to a a state organization enforcing professional responsibility, and present character references to be admitted to practice in front of certain courts.
Every federal employee receives annual training and reminds on ethics.
I’m not sure the training for Article 3 judges, but there are accepted codes of Judicial ethics.
This guy was an Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, and headed the EEOC, two positions/entities that were somewhat concerned with impropriety AND the appearance of impropriety.
But when appointed to the highest court of the land, he figures, “Nah, I guess all I have to do is ask a couple of co-workers. And even tho I’m a War-Mart kinda guy, there’s NO WAY ANYONE could think anything untoward about these gifts!”
This is just about as far as you could get from a well-intentioned inexperienced person being tripped up by some obscure technicality.