If you haven’t done so already, I would suggest going to ProPublica and reading their entire piece on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Justice Thomas has been a jurist on SCOTUS since 1991, and he’s been on the wrong side of history on every issue, from women’s rights to reproductive rights to gay rights to workers’ rights to safeguarding the republic. We’ve always known that Justice Thomas plays by his own set of rules, alongside his insurrectionist wife Virginia “Ginni” Thomas. But I’m not sure people were prepared for the scale and scope of Clarence Thomas’s unethical behavior. The ProPublica piece is a deep dive into Thomas’s relationship with Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, who has spent millions of dollars wining and dining Justice Thomas. Worse yet, Thomas has never disclosed these “gifts.” Here’s part of ProPublica’s piece:
In late June 2019, right after the U.S. Supreme Court released its final opinion of the term, Justice Clarence Thomas boarded a large private jet headed to Indonesia. He and his wife were going on vacation: nine days of island-hopping in a volcanic archipelago on a superyacht staffed by a coterie of attendants and a private chef.
If Thomas had chartered the plane and the 162-foot yacht himself, the total cost of the trip could have exceeded $500,000. Fortunately for him, that wasn’t necessary: He was on vacation with real estate magnate and Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, who owned the jet — and the yacht, too.
For more than two decades, Thomas has accepted luxury trips virtually every year from the Dallas businessman without disclosing them, documents and interviews show. A public servant who has a salary of $285,000, he has vacationed on Crow’s superyacht around the globe. He flies on Crow’s Bombardier Global 5000 jet. He has gone with Crow to the Bohemian Grove, the exclusive California all-male retreat, and to Crow’s sprawling ranch in East Texas. And Thomas typically spends about a week every summer at Crow’s private resort in the Adirondacks.
The extent and frequency of Crow’s apparent gifts to Thomas have no known precedent in the modern history of the U.S. Supreme Court. These trips appeared nowhere on Thomas’ financial disclosures. His failure to report the flights appears to violate a law passed after Watergate that requires justices, judges, members of Congress and federal officials to disclose most gifts, two ethics law experts said. He also should have disclosed his trips on the yacht, these experts said.
Thomas did not respond to a detailed list of questions. In a statement, Crow acknowledged that he’d extended “hospitality” to the Thomases “over the years,” but said that Thomas never asked for any of it and it was “no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends.”
The piece even points out that Crow and Thomas only met for the first time AFTER Thomas was appointed to the Supreme Court. It’s not like they were old friends maintaining their relationship through thick and thin. This was very much an explicit ethical violation. Dozens, if not hundreds, of ethical violations, actually. ProPublica points out that Thomas’s failure to disclose any part of these gifts is in violation of a post-Watergate law as well, so what Thomas has done is illegal as well as unethical and contemptible. Anyway… impeach the motherf–ker. I’m so tired of this and Democrats better not hem and haw about “well, we don’t want a circus!” You’d rather have this f–king clownshow? Learn from the Trump situation: the American people are actually hungry for these corrupt a–holes to face consequences and be held accountable.
For decades, Justice Clarence Thomas has secretly accepted luxury trips from a major Republican donor, newly obtained documents and interviews show.
The extent and frequency of these apparent gifts to Thomas has no known precedent in modern SCOTUS history… 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/ROuGuyD6r6
— ProPublica (@propublica) April 6, 2023
NEW: Clarence Thomas secretly accepted lavish luxury travel for decades from a billionaire businessman/GOP donor, in apparent repeat violation of ethics law.
Fmr judge: “It’s incomprehensible to me that someone would do this."https://t.co/JlHQQzTGkm w/@js_kaplan @Amierjeski pic.twitter.com/yeoZsCObwY
— Justin Elliott (@JustinElliott) April 6, 2023
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- Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas waits to administer the oath of office to Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, October 26, 2020. US President Donald J. Trump and her husband Jesse M. Barrett look on.,Image: 565706222, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: usage worldwide, Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Kleponis / DPA Picture Alliance / Avalon
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- Washington, DC – President Donald J. Trump acknowledges Judge Amy Coney Barrett as the Supreme Court’s 115th associate justice, following her swearing-in on the South Lawn of the White House. Justice Barrett is joined by her husband Jesse, holding the Bible, and their children. Pictured: Amy Coney Barrett, Donald Trump BACKGRID USA 26 OCTOBER 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: Best Image / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- -Washington, District of Columbia – 20190920 President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcome Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Mrs. Morrison to the White House in Washington for a state dinner. -PICTURED: Clarence Thomas, Virginia Thomas -PHOTO by: CNP/startraksphoto.com -092019_Trump-Morrison-Arrivals_004 This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Startraks Photo for licensing fee and rights information at sales@startraksphoto.com or call +1 212 414 9464 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Startraks Photo reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded Featuring: Clarence Thomas, Virginia Thomas Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 20 Sep 2019 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com
He and his wife are the worst.
They are the epitome of criminal grifters and scamming the system.
I read this article yesterday and I was seething with anger…..I cannot believe that we have a sitting SCOTUS blatantly enjoying THREE decades of lavish travel, exotic destinations and gifts and not ONE SCOTUS or government agency hasn’t had his ass booted OFF off the court!!!! WTF is going on with these findings?? IF SCOTUS members are willing to blatantly disregard the law in the highest court of our country, how can we expect THEM to execute proper justice in the SC without wondering who is possibly persuading them???
Chief Roberts had better get off of his ass and DEMAND that Thomas render his resignation NOW!!!! SCOTUS is the highest Court in our country which MUST be held to the highest level of ethical conduct!!
🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
It’s time for Clarence to go. It’s way overdue.
It really is. It’s outrageous that he was ever put on the bench and he and his wife are traitors to the country in my view.
Agreed. But this is the US and republicans will never punish their own if it risks losing a position of power
Of course he has, he has been crooked for years. He has never recused himself in any case, including cases where he and his wife had a financial interest. The supreme court does not have any ethical board to answer to, they don’t have to disclose anything (I don’t think).
Actually, they do. They are not allowed to accept any gift over the value of $450.00 and if they do, they are required by LAW to obtain an advance permit from the court beforehand. All of these gifts violate the ethics code.
This. This is what every American needs to understand. This is completely non-partisan, I don’t care which justice it is, or what their political leanings are, this is a flagrant abuse of the law, and worse, a spit in the face to the trust we have given to the (very few) justices.
Imagine if RBG was yachting around the world with whoever got the most money from Plan B. This is exactly the same thing.
I’m not that surprised. When I was a kid and his confirmation hearings were happening, I thought he was an evil looking dude. With age, he looks worse and worse. (I’m a black American, by the way.) Also, he made a point not to lead on opinions. It’s like he was just there to take up space and enjoy the perks of his position. Yeah, I’m not surprised at all, really.
This makes me wonder two things: what’s the process of expelling a Supreme Court Justice and what does one do at an “all male retreat?”
Supreme Court justices are subject to impeachment, as is all of the Federal judiciary. Republicans will prevent this just as they have protected him all along. He’s been sketchy from the start.
As for Bohemian Grove, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
LOL. Bohemian Grove is just an old “gentlemen’s club” in SF that also owns some land near Guerneville where they go camping in the summer. They have all kinds of silly rituals that are relics of the early 20th century. I know several members and have been to both the SF location and the retreat. (They let guests, including women, join on certain days.) They’re all rich dudes and so they skew selfish and obnoxious and conservative for sure, but the public imagination has built them into some sort of Illuminati-like power nexus which is utterly ridiculous. It’s a bunch of dorky rich guys slapping themselves on the back and peeing in the woods.
Boxy Lady, so the answer to what does one do at an all male retreat is pee in the woods. 😂
Bohemian Grove is weird. They’re super secretive but you can find some info about it online. It’s basically summer camp for privileged old white dudes,
I believed Anita Hill — and the other women who were not allowed to be heard publicly and officially as part of the confirmation hearings. This is just yet another abuse of power. Uncle Clarence Thomas and Ginni Thomas have gotten away with quite a lot over the decades. This would be a great place for the grift to stop.
The last time around, Thomas won the support of some with his “high tech lynching” comment. Since that was in the early days of the internet, he might be interested in learning just how much “high tech “ has developed over the decades.
He’s not the only SC Justice that I think doesn’t belong on the Court. I’m eager to learn more about the impeachment process.
Blithe, we still don’t know who paid off Kavanaugh’s substantial gambling debts.
That’s true, and very troubling, Brassy Rebel. Multiple powerful people had to decide that they wanted Kavanaugh on the court— even though he didn’t meet the most basic standards for a government employee with a regular security clearance. With his background and temperament he might have impressed quite a few supporters as someone who could be easily and relatively cheaply purchased.
I can’t remember: was Scalia also at an “ all male retreat” when he kicked the bucket due to some “accident” with a pillow or something?
Was Cheney at an “all male retreat” when ge filled his friends face with buck shot?
Clarence should be careful. These retreats sure sound dangerous!!
CT never should have made it to the Supreme Court in the first place. He’s OG illegal. And Trump assigned a further 3 illegals a few years ago: I really hope that this latest Supreme Court scandal leads to CT’s being removed and much needed judiciary reform. No one polices these guys! There are no real ethics violations because they can just magic them away. It’s crazy and wrong.
Has anyone else reached their limit of WTF this week?
– the unsurprising revelation Clarence takes gifts
– the expulsion of the three Democrats from TN
– the switching of parties of NC representative giving Republicans a supermajority
– another maternity ward closing in Idaho
I guess there have been some bright spots (Wis. Supreme Court, Trump arraignment), but I just feel overwhelmed this week… though maybe that’s most weeks. I’m gonna get some Easter candy and take a mini-break this weekend.
Yep, the week started out good, it was so nice to have a little positive news with the Supreme Court election in WI, Chicago Mayoral election, and the wanna be dictator getting indicted. But we can never have nice things so the very next day I was raging all day and have been since and just that tiny bit of hope that crept into me got beaten out immediately.
I’m honestly not surprised about the CT shit, this deep dive didn’t even have to go that deep, it’s not like he was going to great lengths to hide this shit. On top of that these people think everyone is as stupid as their base and just say that they are good friends with a wink. Those of us with a working brain cell know and are tired of this shit. I don’t expect anything to happen to CT though, we are past democrats actually wanting to hold the republicans accountable for anything and the republicans have gerrymandered their way into a majority of power all over the country so things will just get worse. I mean how in the world can the TN congress just kick out a fairly elected representative??? Why is that even allowed? That’s straight fascism. Same thing with running for one party, getting elected, and then switching parties. How is that not illegal ? How is that not just a basic law or rule?
I reached my limit a long time ago. Now I’m just hanging on by my fingernails.
TN kept the white woman, expelled the two African-American men. What a surprise said no one ever.
I didn’t see that part just that they were taking a vote. What a sh*t show.
@ Fuzzy Crocodile, Idaho has also now passed a law that anyone that assists a minor to gain access to an abortion over state lines can be jailed for the starting sentence of 5 years and a ridiculous fine as well. Idaho also has restricted abortions to SIX weeks, stripping women their rights even further.
With six weeks, why even bother? For many, that’s a slightly late period. How many even think that they MIGHT be pregnant at six weeks? I totally don’t get the end game here — beyond senseless control and ongoing individual tragedies.
Don’t forget the state of Florida arresting a 13yo autistic boy at gunpoint for sharing a meme criticizing cops for their handling of school shootings in a snapchat https://sdgln.com/news/2023/04/06/rebekah-jones-son-arrested-what-happened-husband-personal-life/?fbclid=IwAR0m9i9cPlt5I-Kv-N2suV4jisvf4_bGz-3ggpoL7gMdG3qt1EA453Wr0ZY
the kid is the son of Rebekah Jones, the woman DeSantis had jailed for for blowing the whistle ob what was really going on with COVID in the state
I did see that too. The world is a mess.
Unethical definitely. Illegal because he is required to disclose. But I would like to see a special prosecutor to investigate potential bribery. Crow says he never asks for anything in return. I wouldn’t just take his word for it. Unfortunately, since Republicans never allow one of their own to be held accountable, no matter how egregious the violations, impeachment will never happen, much less conviction on impeachment. The men who wrote the constitution never foresaw that a faction of rabid idealogues would do anything to protect their own, making a complete farce of their plan for “checks and balances”.
This misuse of power for illegal and unethical gains has been going on forever. Not all, but many. And it is going on in other countries too. The problem for these clowns is with social media being what it is, the information will get out. They can’t hide anymore – there will be leaks they cannot control or keep secret. And we, who are held accountable at our places of employment for misconduct, should hold them accountable as well. This is no different than Chuck taking money and for whatever the former King of Spain did. If you use the state for illegal purposes, YOU MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE No one is above the law.
Just yesterday I said, Clarence Thomas is the worst most powerful Black man with power in America. Every single move he makes is evil and has been since jump. I hope he isn’t Teflon here and this finally takes him down.
I want to hear what John Roberts has to say, Top Clown of the Court who desires to be respected by all. I believe he hates being criticized, has delusions of his court being the premier in all of US history. Choke on it, ya lily white bad joke.
That’s Chief Potted Plant John Roberts to you, Southern Fried, for a useless potted plant is all he does. He presides over the most illegitimate court in modern times (I’ll agree that there were probably ones as bad in the 1800s and prior but I don’t know of any examples).
On the internet I like to make sure that I insult Johnny Boy, tool of the billionaires, enemy of we the people, as richly as possible for he is the one person who could probably bring to bear some pressure on any of the fascist devils on his compromised court.
Same, I’ve been including Robert’s name with Thomas’s on SM every time. We’ve seen Roberts be a whiney baby prick before so I’ll happily remind him.
I do think Roberts wants to preserve his place in history, so there is a tiny chance he’ll do something. He’s lost control of the court, though, so we’ll see. The leak happened under his leadership and now even more evidence of Thomas’s ethical violations have surfaced. This is it, Roberts – do something or forever be associated with an illegitimate court that Americans no longer believe in.
If it’s illegal I wonder if he can just be charged by DOJ? I mean fcuk impeachment, we know that’s a farce, just charge him. If he’s convicted how can he adjudicate from prison?
He could fight any conviction all the way up to the Supreme Court and his buddies would never ultimately convict him. Plus he’s appointed for life.
They would all look have to recuse themselves. 😂
Upholding the law by breaking the law?
Sure. If the IRS does not go after him, I should never have to pay a single cent to them again.
Clarence Thomas is on record saying he votes the way he does only because he wants to anger liberals.
VOTE VOTE VOTE!
If we could recapture the majority in Congress and the Senate, we could really hold people accountable. The only way to get rid of someone like Thomas is impeachment and we need a majority to do so.
There are no decent elected Republicans left, not a one. We don’t have the votes to convict for impeachment of this lout. We are stuck with him until 1) we vote in a serious Democratic majority in both houses and keep the White House or 2) he dies. That’s it.
My hatred of this vile man and his equally terrible wife is a synecdoche for the whole rotten GOP apparatus. The billionaires and the weak people who do their bidding. I hate him so, so much. Sexual harasser, unintelligent (sorry, but not a one of the right wing rubber stamps are very intelligent; you just cannot be intelligent if you support right wing policies), ladder puller-upper, middle finger to everyone (he occupies Thurgood Marshall’s seat for crying out loud), traitor to his country (there is no way on earth he was unaware of the sedition his wife was helping to plan). I hate him.
Could – not – agree – more.
I concur, and I’m just thrilled to see the word “synecdoche” in the wild.
And then after impeaching CT do a deep dive into Bret Kavanaugh.Dude had some major debt just wiped out
Impeach the fucker. Expand the Court.
A large part of the problem is that the media uses “alleged” when talking about clearly illegal actions like these. I know it’s because of libel claims, but it adds to the culture of elite impunity we are currently burdened with.
It’s pathetic. This loser shouldn’t be making any decisions other than if it warrants a bidet.
Wait. Back up to the “all-male retreat” in California. What now?
Based on what was said above, apparently it’s just like summer camp for rich white dudes, except a bit more high-end. Oh, and they pee in the woods.
The SCOTUS has their own in house legal office run by a general counsel and reporting up to the Clerk of Court . They can make recommendations on the Justices choices about to recuse themselves (and were famously ignored by Scalia and Thomas in Bush v. gore) but this seems to be a complete failure of oversight and auditing of reporting by the justices. If you want this to stop need to put that office and the Clerk in the hot seat. He was formerly the General Counsel so should be well aware of the responsibilities involved.
He needs to go to prison. We put poor people in jail because they miss a court date for a ticket, have a joint in their pocket, jump a turnstile. WTAF?!? They’re trying to put Marilyn Mosby in prison because she borrowed from her own retirement account to buy a vacation home. LOCK HIM UP!
So disgusted by this disgusting man. I believed Anita Thomas years ago and still do. We can thank President Bush the 1st for this travesty of a Supreme Court Justice.
Anita Hill tried to warn Joe Biden and his panel of fools. Full circle in the worst way.
What did Clarence Thomas give this billionaire in return? That’s key. Reporters need to follow the money. There must be illegal activity somewhere. Nobody gives that kind of money for free.
I wonder who leaked this news? Obviously it was kept a big secret for years.