‘The Court is in Crisis’: Clarence Thomas’ Reported Failure to Disclose Lavish Gifts From GOP Billio

[mystery-ak]

Looks like they are after Thomas again....


‘The Court is in Crisis’: Clarence Thomas’ Reported Failure to Disclose Lavish Gifts From GOP Billionaire Donor EXPLODES on Twitter
Story by Ken Meyer • 2h ago

ProPublica appears to have sparked a looming media uproar with their bombshell report on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ acceptance of luxurious perks from a Republican megadonor, which Thomas never disclosed as required by law.

The report delves into multiple instances over the years where the conservative justice and his wife, Ginni, were treated to lavish vacations, yacht cruises, and flights on a private jet, all on the dime of billionaire real estate developer Harlan Crow. ProPublica analyzed flight records, internal documents, and interviews with dozens of Crow’s employees to track his access to Thomas and the number of times he schmoozed with Crow and his friends while accepting princely trips to exclusive locations.

Crow gave ProPublica a statement on his friendliness with the Thomases while claiming he and his cohorts “never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue.” However, ProPublica reports that Justice Thomas never revealed anything about this in his financial disclosures, which raises the possibility he violated ethical norms along with a law requiring public officials to disclose these kinds of gifts.

more
https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/the-court-is-in-crisis-clarence-thomas-reported-failure-to-disclose-lavish-gifts-from-gop-billionaire-donor-explodes-on-twitter/ar-AA19yapx?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=38b4b5f2c34e419988604aaa41e05fc1&ei=33

[catfish1957]

As a manager for an oil company I had to disclose all vendor gifts down to $10 at the time.  In fact to be precise I kept  a ledger of meals, trinkets, and gifts so that when I sent my corporate report in at the end of the year, they were all listed.  This is SOP for 90% of corporate America, and the upper echelons of government

I really have a hard time beleiving that Clarence Thomas would be that sloppy. I sure hope he wasn't.

[mystery-ak]

 Ocasio-Cortez calls for Thomas impeachment after report of undisclosed gifts from GOP donor
by Stephen Neukam - 04/06/23 11:05 AM ET

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is calling for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be impeached following a report that he accepted luxurious gifts from a billionaire Republican donor for decades.

For years, Thomas took luxury trips and outings on yachts and private jets owned by Dallas businessman Harlan Crow, according to an investigation by ProPublica. Thomas did not disclose the travel, the investigation found. Crow has donated lavishly to Republican candidates.

Ocasio-Cortez blasted the alleged actions as an “almost cartoonish” level of corruption.

“This is beyond party or partisanship,” Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter. “This degree of corruption is shocking — almost cartoonish. Thomas must be impeached.”

The New York congresswoman also said the report of Thomas’s alleged misconduct reflects negatively on Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3937388-ocasio-cortez-calls-for-thomas-impeachment-after-report-of-undisclosed-gifts-from-gop-donor/

[mystery-ak]

....and away we go...

 Senate Judiciary chair: Committee ‘will act’ on alleged misconduct by Thomas
by Stephen Neukam - 04/06/23 12:23 PM ET

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top lawmaker on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the panel would act on allegations that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepted lavish gifts from a billionaire Republican donor over a period of decades.

For years, Thomas took luxury trips and outings on yachts and private jets owned by Dallas businessman Harlan Crow, according to an investigation by ProPublica. But Thomas did not disclose the travel, the investigation found. Crow has donated lavishly to Republican candidates.

Durbin said in a statement that the report was a “call to action” for lawmakers, arguing Supreme Court justices needed a code of ethics that could be enforced.

“The highest court in the land shouldn’t have the lowest ethical standards,” Durbin said in a statement. “Today’s report demonstrates, yet again, that Supreme Court Justices must be held to an enforceable code of conduct… the Senate Judiciary Committee will act.”

It was unclear what action the committee would take, but Durbin joined a number of other Democrats who weighed in on the Thomas news; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called for the justice to be impeached.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3937550-senate-judiciary-chair-committee-will-act-on-alleged-misconduct-by-thomas/

[mystery-ak]

Thomas is a brililant man I can't believe he would be this stupid on accepting these *gifts*

[libertybele]

Thomas is a brililant man I can't believe he would be this stupid on accepting these *gifts*

Another witch hunt???

[DefiantMassRINO]

 

Lawyers as a profession have become more unsavory than incontinent rabid radiocative cannibal sewer rats.

The profession is now devoid of any moral or ethical integrity.

Lawyers will win at any cost, including lying, cheating, stealing, and exploiting grammatical misunderstandings.

[mountaineer]

Thomas is a brililant man I can't believe he would be this stupid on accepting these *gifts*

It certainly is odd.

[Free Vulcan]

These accusations just don't pass the smell test. Going to take very strong evidence to convince me otherwise.

[mountaineer]

Tom Fitton
@TomFitton
Left hates and wants to destroy Clarence Thomas because he is America's leading black conservative. This retread is another hit piece. Yawn.

[Kamaji]

Unless Ms. AOC can make a quid pro quo connection to a particular case that was before the Court, this doesn't pass the smell test.

Yes, if true, Thomas should have reported the gifts, and perhaps a censure would be in order, but this is not grounds for impeachment.

She is just trying to gin up some pathetic excuse to get Thomas off the Court so Bidet can appoint his replacement.

[mystery-ak]

Unless Ms. AOC can make a quid pro quo connection to a particular case that was before the Court, this doesn't pass the smell test.

Yes, if true, Thomas should have reported the gifts, and perhaps a censure would be in order, but this is not grounds for impeachment.

She is just trying to gin up some pathetic excuse to get Thomas off the Court so Bidet can appoint his replacement.

AOC is under investigation for accepting gifts herself.....

[libertybele]

AOC is under investigation for accepting gifts herself.....

I thought so .... but patiently waiting for anything to become of it.

[andy58-in-nh]

Consider the source - ProPublica - a hard-left 501(c)(3) organization heavily funded by George Soros, among other trust-fund billionaire reprobates.

[mystery-ak]

Dems cheer Clarence Thomas hit piece alleging corrupt relationship with GOP donor, but there’s a catch
April 6, 2023 | Vivek Saxena

excerpt:

There’s just one glaring problem. Thomas is reportedly good friends with Crow, and there’s no rule stating that it’s illegal for a judge to accept gifts from a friend.

“Food, lodging, or entertainment received as personal hospitality need not be reported. Personal hospitality means hospitality extended for a nonbusiness purpose by an individual, not a corporation or organization, at the personal residence of that individual or his or her family or on property or facilities owned by that individual or his or her family,” according to federal regulations.

https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1644002853676105729

Plus, Ocasio-Cortez has zero room to talk, if The New York Times’s latest bombshell is any indication.

“Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made international headlines when she wore a white gown scrawled with the words ‘Tax the Rich’ to the star-studded Met Gala in New York in September 2021. But now, congressional investigators have found “substantial reason to believe” that she might have violated House ethics rules and perhaps federal law by accepting gifts associated with the event,” the paper reported last month.

“At issue are the payments for the rental of the dress, jewelry, shoes and bag she wore to the event, as well as the costs of her makeup, hair, transportation and about $5,000 for a share of rooms at the Carlyle Hotel, where she prepared for the gala,” the paper added.

In fairness to Ocasio-Cortez, she eventually paid for everything, but not until the House Ethics Committee had begun an investigation.

more
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/04/06/dems-cheer-clarence-thomas-hit-piece-alleging-corrupt-relationship-with-gop-donor-but-theres-a-catch-1347830/

[Smokin Joe]

If Thomas and the "donor" were friends before his appointment, or even just for long standing, and there is no evidence of quid pro quo, I think this is a nothingburger.

Your friend invites you to hop on his jet and come down to wherever with him to go fishing or relax for a few days...


I should have such friends!

[roamer_1]

Tom Fitton
@TomFitton
Left hates and wants to destroy Clarence Thomas because he is America's leading black conservative. This retread is another hit piece. Yawn.

Yeah... I will wait for Clarence Thomas to answer.

[Kamaji]

If Thomas and the "donor" were friends before his appointment, or even just for long standing, and there is no evidence of quid pro quo, I think this is a nothingburger.

Your friend invites you to hop on his jet and come down to wherever with him to go fishing or relax for a few days...


I should have such friends!

[mystery-ak]

Clarence Thomas says he ‘was advised’ he didn’t have to disclose trips paid for by GOP donor
Zach Schonfeld



Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Friday said he “was advised” that he did not have to disclose a series of trips reportedly paid for by a Republican mega-donor.

The trips, which were revealed on Thursday by ProPublica investigation, led to outrage from Democrats and judicial watchdog groups.

“Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable. I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines,” Thomas said in a statement, his first public comments since the report.

ProPublica reported on Thursday that Harlan Crow, a Dallas-based real estate developer who has donated millions to conservative causes, paid for Thomas to join multiple vacations, including trips on Harlan’s private jet and 162-foot yacht.

The federal judiciary’s policy-making body last month quietly adopted stricter gift disclosure requirements that clarified the “personal hospitality” exception does not apply to gifts at commercial properties and only spans certain gifts from someone with a personal relationship with the justice in a nonbusiness context.

“These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance. And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future,” Thomas said.

DEVELOPING…

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3939159-clarence-thomas-said-he-was-advised-he-didnt-have-to-disclose-trips-paid-for-by-gop-donor/