by Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott & Alex Mierjeski @ProPublica
#Thomas has attended at least two #Koch donor summits, putting him in the extraordinary position of having helped a #political network that has brought multiple #cases before the #SupremeCourt.
Since we now know Alito was flying his flag upside down at the time, let’s review one of the plans the coup plotters had involving him.
This interview by criminal defendant Powell is interesting. It suggests that the purpose of the insurrection was to DELAY the electoral college certification to give #Alito time to intervene on this legal challenge. But, Powell says they didn’t anticipate Pelosi reconvening Congress that day.
Crimal defendant Powell is interesting. It suggests that the purpose of the insurrection was to DELAY the electoral college certification to give #scotus#Alito time to intervene on this legal challenge. But, Powell says they didn’t anticipate Speaker Pelosi reconvening Congress.
Remember when John Eastman admitted his proposals to nullify the 2020 election would lose at #SCOTUS 7-2?
The two Eastman was counting on for the insurrection were Thomas (atop the 11th circuit where they filed a lawsuit in Georgia) and Alito (atop the 5th circuit where they filed a lawsuit in Texas). That’s according to under-oath testimony from Pence’s lawyer. 2/
Clarence Thomas belatedly admits luxury trips were paid for by rightwing billionaire
Supreme court justice amended his financial disclosure to confirm rightwing mega-donor Harlan #Crow funded travel
#Thomas’s relationship with Crow set off calls for more transparency by the justices and calls for more transparency.
ProPublica also reported last year that Samuel #Alito, another of the court’s conservative justices, flew on a private jet and vacationed with a billionaire who had business before the court.
Alito was granted a 90-day extension to file his report, something he has routinely sought.
Alito is also under scrutiny after reports from the New York Times that there was an upside-down US #flag flying outside of his home in Virginia as well as an Appeal to Heaven flag flying outside of a beach home in New Jersey.
The former is associated with the January 6 attack on the Capitol and the latter with #Christian#nationalism.
The supreme court’s nine justices all agreed to a code of conduct last year, though some experts have noted it does not go far enough and there is no way to adequately enforce it.
I believe they are fascists or at least on friendly terms with fascists. I believe they've broken laws and are a threat to my life and the lives of my children.
I believe the US government may not be equipped to bring them to justice and that too is a crime.
I will never wish violence on them. I will never wish cancer on them.
“In Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., from 2009, the court held that a state supreme court justice was constitutionally disqualified from a case in which the president of a corporation appearing before him had helped to get him elected by spending $3 million promoting his campaign.”
"Alito’s misconduct also brings Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who heads an entire branch of government, to an inflection point. If he does nothing, Roberts is complicit in the destruction of the court’s reputation. Such spinelessness might even snatch from Roger B. Taney, the author of the majority opinion in Dred Scott, the title of “worst chief justice ever.”" https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/05/26/alito-durbin-supreme-court/
Clarence Thomas attacks Brown v. Board ruling amid 70th anniversary
I believe the term you are thinking is "Uncle Tom" but it might also be "traitor" or "closet nazi" -- you tell me.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas issued a strong rebuke of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling on Thursday, suggesting the court overreached its authority in the landmark decision that banned separating schoolchildren by race.
Toxic partisan politics is corrupting every segment of society, bit by bit, from civilian life to government to church to media to education and everything in-between, eating away at it all, like a cancer.
"Clarence Thomas Complains About ‘Awful’ People After His Ethics Scandals"
New filings reveal more luxury trips and opaque payments to Clarence Thomas’ wife, Ginni.
NEW: Financial disclosures revealed that Ginni Thomas was paid $700,000 by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative group that has weighed in on Supreme Court justice confirmation processes, filed multiple amicus briefs and had cases before the Court.
#Ginni#Gitmo#Thomas is a qanon fascist, she worked really hard to overthrow the government and the election, end America and install a tyrant, rapist, fraud, and coup leader. Ginni is a disgrace to America. Call out her crimes and her fraud everyday.
We see you Ginni. We see what you did. Your BFF Ken #Chesebro and you directed and advised #Coup plotter Mark Meadows.
Dear fascist coup plotter Ginni,
Sedition you say, Ginni?
Many republicans have been convicted of seditious conspiracy and Trump, Meadows and fellow criminals have been arrested and charged with many felonies in 4 jurisdictions. Many election crimes by your friends Ginni, DoJ is probably watching you.
"While recent debates center on enacting an ethics code for the Supreme Court, the statutory honoraria ban has been in place for decades. No new ethical rules need to be promulgated, or codes enacted on this subject. It exists right now, as it has since 1989. But Thomas and Leo are doing an end run around it, accomplishing indirectly what the law prohibits them from doing directly. And no one is stopping them."
"…Thomas is saying, No, I may not take a fee for speaking at a dinner sponsored by the Koch bros; heaven forbid I violate the…honorarium ban! But of course: Nothing stops you, Koch bros, from lavishing me w/a trip to Palm Springs in a private plane, sumptuous accommodations, & fabulous meals,…there is nothing wrong w/conservative billionaires enabling Thomas to have a lifestyle far beyond what his judicial salary allows."
"…version of Congress we had 23 yrs ago might have gone ballistic in response to recent discoveries about Thomas. If…concerned about…judges getting money for honoraria…surely would’ve been…evading the honoraria ban w/luxury vacations. If…worried about rich benefactors paying judges for their speeches…would surely be…about rich benefactors providing judges w/private planes & high-end accommodations."
#Thomas (and his #christofascist wife, Ginny) could be indicted tomorrow just on what the public knows about his #corruption & her election interference.
Person with obligation to comply with gift tax law is the donor not the recipient. If it's a bribe done to influence an official act it is income to the recipient and not a gift. Did Crow file forms 702 annually for "gifts" over annual exclusion ranging from 10k to 16k in 2022?
Can we stop wondering why Harland Crow was funneling wealth to a SCOTUS justice who was ruling in his favor on every case that reached him? Let's focus on the SCOTUS cases and the payments or gifts and see if they show a pattern that evidences that they were a quid pro quo.
Nothing in the Constitution requires Thomas be impeached before he can be charged for bribery. Crow should be teed up for the grand jury once the investigation of his secret payments has been completed and shows any evidence that could support a bribery conviction.
Drill down on #Crow and make him an offer he can't refuse: Testify against #Thomas or spend 10 years in a federal prison.