Precedent: Justices Have Been Forced to Resign for Doing What Clarence Thomas Has Done

[Bozita]

Justices Have Been Forced to Resign for Doing What Clarence Thomas Has Done
Monday 20 June 2011
by: Ian Millhiser, ThinkProgress | Report


Justice Clarence Thomas is an ethics problem in a black robe. Just eight months after ThinkProgress broke the story of Thomas’ attendance at a Koch-sponsored political fundraiser, we learn that Thomas doesn’t just do unethical favors for wealthy right-wing donors — they also do expensive favors for him.

Leading conservative donor Harlan Crow, whose company often litigates in federal court, donated $500,000 to allow Thomas’s wife to start a Tea Party group and he once gave Thomas a $19,000 Bible that belonged to Frederick Douglass. The American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank which frequently files briefs in Thomas’ Court, also gave Thomas a $15,000 gift.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because America has seen this movie before. Indeed, the Thomas scandal is little more than a remake of the forty year-old gifting scandal that brought down Justice Abe Fortas. Like Thomas, Fortas liked to associate with wealthy individuals with potential business before his Court. And like Thomas, Fortas took inappropriate gifts from his wealthy benefactors.

Fortas’ questionable gifts first came out when President Johnson nominated him for a promotion to Chief Justice of the United States in 1968. Fortas had accepted $15,000 to lead seminars at American University — far more than the university normally paid for such services — and the payments were bankrolled by the leaders of frequent corporate litigants including the vice president of Phillip Morris. Fortas survived this revelation, although his nomination for the Chief Justiceship was filibustered into oblivion.

more...
http://www.truth-out.org/justices-have-been-forced-resign-doing-what-clarence-thomas-has-done/1308576677

[libmom74]

1. Unfortunately we have

the "We must look forward (unless you tweet picture of your penis)" crowd in charge, so this will go nowhere and Thomas will continue to contaminate the Supreme Court.

[theaocp]

2. So what?

He's a conservative. He gets a pass. NEXT. :sarcasm:

[Bozita]

3. Ian Millhiser, from ThinkProgress, is on with Rachel tonight

[Jefferson23]

4. ugh. n/t K&R

[Doctor_J]

5. Yes, and people have gone to jail for what David Vitter has done

Everyone knows that Thomas is a criminal. This article is silly.