Even those who’ve come to expect the worst from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas were amazed by the latest revelations. A stunning ProPublica report found that the far-right jurist has spent the last couple of decades accepting gifts and luxury trips from a Republican megadonor, which Thomas failed to disclose.
The report added, “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.”
As the revelations circulated, The Los Angeles Times noted that Thomas used to disclose the gifts he received real estate magnate Harlan Crow, but after they generated some media coverage, he apparently decided to abandon transparency.
In other words, instead of thinking, “Hmm, maybe I should stop accepting generous gifts from a Republican megadonor while serving on the Supreme Court,” Thomas apparently concluded, “Hmm, maybe I should start hiding the fact that I accept generous gifts from a Republican megadonor while serving on the Supreme Court.”
The next question is what, if anything, might happen as a result of the controversy. NBC News reported:
Progressive representatives on Thursday called for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas shortly after a ProPublica report detailed how he took lavish trips funded by a Republican billionaire donor that he did not disclose. “This degree of corruption is shocking — almost cartoonish,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., wrote on Twitter. “Thomas must be impeached.”
The congresswoman known as AOC wasn’t alone. Two of her Democratic allies in the House — Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota — also issued separate statements endorsing Thomas’ impeachment.
Several other Democrats, meanwhile, called on the associate justice to resign, including Rep. Ted Lieu of California, who serves on the House Judiciary Committee.
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