Why is he participating in the Trump cases? Why hasn't he recused himself?
Ginni Thomas, Thomas's wife, is an election denier, a pro-Trump conspirator and potentially a material witness in the election subversion case. Here's a quick review of the salient facts.
In the weeks following the November 2020 presidential election, Ginni Thomas texted Trump's Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on a number of occasions. The messages included imploring Meadows to prevent "Biden and the Left . . . from attempting the greatest Heist of our history" and begging Meadows to "save us from the left taking America down." She actively lobbied legislators in at least two battleground states to overturn Biden's win.
The Supreme Court's new Code of Ethics, which Roberts adopted under pressure last year after a string of publicized controversies involving primarily Clarence Thomas (more on that below), states that a Justice "should disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in which the Justice's impartiality might reasonably be questioned." This is further characterized as a situation "where an unbiased and reasonable person who is aware of all relevant circumstances would doubt that the Justice could fairly discharge his or her duties."
Here's IU Legal Ethics Professor Charles Geyh, in an interview a while back, cutting to the chase: "I don't know how someone could be impartial when their spouse is part of the record that may be before the judge."
Why hasn't Clarence Thomas been sanctioned or even impeached?
I'm linking a ProPublica article below, and providing a few excerpts here.
"During his three decades on the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas has enjoyed steady access to a lifestyle most Americans can only imagine . . . Like clockwork, Thomas’ leisure activities have been underwritten by benefactors who share the ideology that drives his jurisprudence. Their gifts include: At least 38 destination vacations, including a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the Bahamas; 26 private jet flights, plus an additional eight by helicopter; a dozen VIP passes to professional and college sporting events, typically perched in the skybox; two stays at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast.
"While some of the hospitality, such as stays in personal homes, may not have required disclosure, Thomas appears to have violated the law by failing to disclose flights, yacht cruises and expensive sports tickets, according to ethics experts. Perhaps even more significant, the pattern exposes consistent violations of judicial norms, experts, including seven current and former federal judges appointed by both parties, told ProPublica. 'In my career I don’t remember ever seeing this degree of largesse given to anybody,' said Jeremy Fogel, a former federal judge who served for years on the judicial committee that reviews judges’ financial disclosures. 'I think it’s unprecedented.'
"Don Fox, the former general counsel of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics and the senior ethics official in the executive branch, said, 'It’s just the height of hypocrisy to wear the robes and live the lifestyle of a billionaire.' Taxpayers, he added, have the right to expect that Supreme Court justices are not living on the dime of others.
"Fox, who worked under both Democratic and Republican administrations, said he advised every new political appointee the same thing: Your wealthy friends are the ones you had before you were appointed. 'You don’t get to acquire any new ones,' he told them."
Clarence Thomas has clearly flouted ethical norms and quite possibly the law. And his wife, part of the election subversion story, is a potential witness in the case. It's outrageous that he's participating in the judicial review.
www.propublica.org
Ginni Thomas, Thomas's wife, is an election denier, a pro-Trump conspirator and potentially a material witness in the election subversion case. Here's a quick review of the salient facts.
In the weeks following the November 2020 presidential election, Ginni Thomas texted Trump's Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on a number of occasions. The messages included imploring Meadows to prevent "Biden and the Left . . . from attempting the greatest Heist of our history" and begging Meadows to "save us from the left taking America down." She actively lobbied legislators in at least two battleground states to overturn Biden's win.
The Supreme Court's new Code of Ethics, which Roberts adopted under pressure last year after a string of publicized controversies involving primarily Clarence Thomas (more on that below), states that a Justice "should disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in which the Justice's impartiality might reasonably be questioned." This is further characterized as a situation "where an unbiased and reasonable person who is aware of all relevant circumstances would doubt that the Justice could fairly discharge his or her duties."
Here's IU Legal Ethics Professor Charles Geyh, in an interview a while back, cutting to the chase: "I don't know how someone could be impartial when their spouse is part of the record that may be before the judge."
Why hasn't Clarence Thomas been sanctioned or even impeached?
I'm linking a ProPublica article below, and providing a few excerpts here.
"During his three decades on the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas has enjoyed steady access to a lifestyle most Americans can only imagine . . . Like clockwork, Thomas’ leisure activities have been underwritten by benefactors who share the ideology that drives his jurisprudence. Their gifts include: At least 38 destination vacations, including a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the Bahamas; 26 private jet flights, plus an additional eight by helicopter; a dozen VIP passes to professional and college sporting events, typically perched in the skybox; two stays at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast.
"While some of the hospitality, such as stays in personal homes, may not have required disclosure, Thomas appears to have violated the law by failing to disclose flights, yacht cruises and expensive sports tickets, according to ethics experts. Perhaps even more significant, the pattern exposes consistent violations of judicial norms, experts, including seven current and former federal judges appointed by both parties, told ProPublica. 'In my career I don’t remember ever seeing this degree of largesse given to anybody,' said Jeremy Fogel, a former federal judge who served for years on the judicial committee that reviews judges’ financial disclosures. 'I think it’s unprecedented.'
"Don Fox, the former general counsel of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics and the senior ethics official in the executive branch, said, 'It’s just the height of hypocrisy to wear the robes and live the lifestyle of a billionaire.' Taxpayers, he added, have the right to expect that Supreme Court justices are not living on the dime of others.
"Fox, who worked under both Democratic and Republican administrations, said he advised every new political appointee the same thing: Your wealthy friends are the ones you had before you were appointed. 'You don’t get to acquire any new ones,' he told them."
Clarence Thomas has clearly flouted ethical norms and quite possibly the law. And his wife, part of the election subversion story, is a potential witness in the case. It's outrageous that he's participating in the judicial review.
Clarence Thomas’ 38 Vacations: The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel
The fullest accounting yet shows how Thomas has secretly reaped the benefits from a network of wealthy and well-connected patrons that is far more extensive than previously understood.
