It might appear Supreme Court docket corruption is untouchable, however final week Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) launched a proper request to U.S. Legal professional Basic Merrick Garland for the opening of an investigation into Supreme Court docket Justice Clarence Thomas. Individually, this week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York filed articles of impeachment in opposition to not solely Thomas, however fellow justice Samuel Alito. Due to crack reporting from ProPublica, the world was made conscious final 12 months that the SCOTUS justice has been accepting tens of millions of {dollars} value of lavish holidays, yacht journeys, and worldwide jet-setting on the dime of Republican billionaire megadonor Harlan Crow, breaking with public servant legal guidelines and disclosure norms.
For over 20 years Thomas and his spouse have been touring on the behest of Crow, regardless of the lifetime-appointment public servant’s requirement to maintain to a strict moral code. This features a requirement to reveal items and any non-government revenue over $415 worth, which he has repeatedly didn’t do. The 2023 ProPublica report elucidates Harlan Crow’s contributions to Thomas and his household, together with a yacht journey to Russia with personal helicopter journey to St. Petersburg, permitting Justice Thomas’ mom to stay rent-free in a house owned by Crow, and paying Thomas’ grandnephew’s personal $6,000 per 30 days boarding college tuition.
“Justice Thomas and Alito’s repeated failure over a long time to reveal that they acquired tens of millions of {dollars} in items from people with enterprise earlier than the courtroom is explicitly in opposition to the legislation,” reads the Ocasio-Cortez assertion.
The Whitehouse/Wyden letter, dated July 3, made public that Senate investigations have discovered proof of “repeated and willful” omissions, together with items and revenue, from Justice Thomas’ required annual monetary stories.
“Appointment of a particular counsel would serve the general public curiosity,” Whitehouse and Wyden wrote. “The general public should have confidence that the judiciary and the Division of Justice execute their obligations pretty, impartially, and with out respect to political expedience or partisan pursuits.”
Thomas has claimed that that he didn’t suppose he there was a requirement to report the journeys, as he was suggested early in his tenure that they had been “private hospitality.” He has repeatedly acknowledged that the journeys weren’t chartered or requested by him, he was merely tagging together with Crow on his annual journeys out of friendliness.
Along with the Russia journey, Clarence and Ginni Thomas have reportedly travelled aboard Crow’s 162-foot superyacht, the Michaela Rose, to go to Indonesia, Savannah, Georgia, New Zealand, and Greece. It appears that almost all of those journeys have additionally included flights aboard Crow’s Bombardier International 5000 personal jet. Non-yacht-involved journeys additionally embrace annual stays at Crow’s personal Adirondacks resort and his Texas ranch. I ponder why a right-wing billionaire actual property developer would need to curry a lot favor with a sitting decide within the highest courtroom within the nation. Most likely only a coincidence. This complete investigation is greater than possible a witch hunt. No witches right here!
The 76-year-old Justice Thomas is the courtroom’s longest-serving decide, receiving his appointment in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush.
