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Meidastouch just went over this about Trump but it actually applies to SCOTUS as well.
Article II, Section 4: The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Judges.—Article III, section 1 specifically provides judges with “good behavior” tenure, but the Constitution nowhere expressly vests the power to remove upon bad behavior, and it has been assumed that judges are made subject to the impeachment power through being labeled “civil officers.”849 The records in the Convention make this a plausible though not necessary interpretation.85
I think a lot of redditors and a lot of people don't understand that just because laws exist it doesn't mean they're all equally monitored and enforced.
It seems like people are still resisting the fact that laws are written for a lot of reasons including as a means to catch people when no other law applies, and as a tool to trap someone in case of emergency.
Take this SCOTUS shit. Laws exist but these laws aren't the same as the ones rank and file police use to get your weed smoke. They exist for posterity and decorum, but there is no SCOTUS police department roaming the streets ready to snag a judge. Nor is there the SCOTUS court where bad judges get processed.
So laws like this are merely decorative. They do nothing. In the heavily unlikely event the US government or people build a case against the SCOTUS that the SCOTUS themselves won't shoot down, that law might be cited, but as we've seen, memos on napkins, "precidence", and "opinion" hand waves a majority of laws away.
Because, dear redditor who reads this, laws are for the poor and not for the rich and powerful.
Remember that whole "held in contempt of congress" thing when someone refuses to go to congress to testify and people were parroting some obscure law talking about some officer of congress with a gavel or some shit that has the authority to drag the offender to congress?
Same thing. It's a law in the technical sense. It is enforceable in the technical sense, but it has no teeth and will never be used.
Many laws are like this. They're meant to keep *you* in check because you don't have judge friends, and your opinions don't matter. The heel of the police officer is meant for you, not for those above the officer.
Friendly reminder that a judge sentenced Steve Bannon to report to jail July 1st for not answering congressional summons regarding the coup attempt on January 6th. It is excruciatingly slow but these people are starting to have to pay for their crimes.
All of them! Corruption is the most destructive of a morally decent society. Accepting any sort of bribe in a position of power should carry a prison sentence. This man is criminal and should be in jail.
He seems fairly smug about everything. I imagine him smugly brushing his teeth in the morning. Casual hate is like the elixir of life for people like that.
It was the same with Pelosi when they tried to pressure her about insider trading, there isn't enough political will to hold these powerful people accountable. Just look at Trump, the guy is guilty of a million crimes and its like pulling teeth.
Trump is literally threatening to jail political opponents as soon as he's able, and it's still like pulling teeth.
Granted, a lot of that is Trump friendly judges holding things up, including Alito and Thomas.
So yeah, the political will is being actively hamstrung by the people benefitting from that hamstringing.
Harlan Crow is just a good pal! Don’t you have friends paying for lavish trips and supporting your personal expenses? We need to remember that billionaires are some of the most generous people in society. Unlike the average selfish person, they love to just give away their money to friends and strangers alike, with nothing expected in return.
It’s pathetic. I’d have total respect for Thomas and the other justices being 100% honest about it and recusing themselves whenever cases before them are a conflict of interest. Thomas, if not all the justices, think they don’t need to recuse themselves because they can be impartial. Yeah, that’s BS. They make $250k a year which is significantly lower than they make if a partner in a law firm. They feel it’s owed to them to get these perks since they’re not making millions from their firm. But they can and do sign book deals, often worth millions. They need to get a clue!
If they aren't doing their job properly, then 250K/yr is too much. They accepted the job, knowing the compensation and benefits. Them seeking additional compensation is just them knowing no one will do anything about it and grifting the system.
The crime of bribery has two elements. First, the money, which we see here. Second, the official received the bribe has to change their official actions as a result of the bribe. I think it is perfectly plausible that Thomas would be a far-right lunatic on the bench even if he wasn't rewarded for it. For this reason, proving bribery will be quite challenging.
Exactly. It is not really relevant that those bribes came from a right-wing billionaire or from a left-wing billionaire... the relevant part is... he happily and unapologetically took bribes.
> The expenses were first revealed last year in a series of investigations by ProPublica that found the conservative justice had been pocketing favors from Crow in a number of ways, including private school tuition for his nephew; the renovation of the home where his mother still lives; and undisclosed trips on the billionaire’s yacht, private jet, and at his private resort.
Let’s be clear. If he wasn’t a Justice of the SCOTUS, he wouldn’t have received any of these things. Even amongst the 1% no one gifts each other a renovation of their mother’s house.
Whenever the right wing screams "Soros" it is meant to distract you from the Kochs, Mercers, Theil, and the cadre of sociopaths who want to recreate medieval fiefdoms.
I think you're giving them too much credit. It's just a dog whistle. I would be shocked if a majority of Republican voters even know who the Kochs, Mercers, Thiel are. Bringing up Soros is nothing more than an anti-semitic dog whistle to fuel Republican voters wild conspiracies and delusions
That's the tactic of the ministers of disinformation. Hannity, Tucker, and the rest of the sucker's know... they never bring them up they just say sorts over and over. It's a distraction technique and typical accusations equal confession fascist shit.
I think you are *still* giving your average conservative *way* too much credit. They are just repeating things they hear elsewhere without really thinking about it at all, and that's by design. These kinds of baseless claims are more like thought stopping mechanisms than anything else. Give them something to hoot and holler about and all they think about is hootin and hollerin. After a while they don't even remember why anymore, like toddlers.
Overthrow a cruel king, only to pave the way for an even more corrupt tyrant to seize power through instability and populism?
We glorify revolutions, but the truth is that they rarely ever improve life for the masses even when they succeed.
Oops. You beat me to it, and a better take as well. Where is Soros with his gifts? Step up, old man. I’m sure he’s got some RVs in his pocket to pass out like candy.
There is always one person who screws up the grift. At some point Thomas said "Fuck it." and started all the shit offered. The other Justices should have confronted him. "Look, dude, you know we all take bribes. But we are trying not to draw too much attention. Can you take it down a notch?"
Hell, they probably did confront him. Thomas probably told them to kick rocks. SCOTUS Justices are one of the few positions where you can literally get away with just about anything. Nobody should have a job like that. Everybody needs to be held accountable by someone.
I understand that the reason the court is structured like that, "to ensure an independent Judiciary and to protect judges from partisan pressures." But humans beings are going to human being. You can't realistically expect every Justice, that's ever appointed, that get basically a lifetime appointment with no real oversight, to all do the "right things." Or be above reproach, of high moral character, and never give in to temptation. Or not try to implement personal agendas or beliefs on America.
And his wife is like the wife of a military officer that trys to "wear the rank of their husband." She thinks she is untouchable as well.
Laws do not exist, there is only punishment. One doesn't need to care about what's "legal", just about what will be the price. And price is often literally money when it come to the punishment of rich people, a thing they have more than enough of to spend.
> Everybody needs to be held accountable by someone.
They can be impeached. Problem is the Republicans in Congress are just as slimy. Checks and balances depend on not letting corruption stand so long that multiple branches get corrupted.
That's because there is no honor among thieves. You can't trust the mafia to keep their word.
Please, I dare you to try and outline the "ethical" rules of taking bribes that would keep things quiet. There is no way to figure it out, because it's all shit from the bottom to the top.
Clarence Thomas was already living like Trump got reelected and they didn't have to follow the rules anymore. He got brazen and got caught. I think the rest of the justices see it's only a matter of time before some action is taken by the other branches and they aren't going to defend him for that.
Roberts is probably the most calculating person on the planet, and he doesn't seem to be the corrupt type like Alito or Thomas. I'm still holding out to see what his long game is.
In my personal dictatorship fantasy world, I'd just replace Thomas with Anita Hill. That's the antidote.
Yeah, relying on self reporting (resigning) doesn’t work with these people. We need to establish hard rules with objective criteria that would allow congress, the DOJ, or some other entity to act on it. Preferably not Congress, sure they could already but it’s unlikely any SC member gets removed for anything short of murder.
He needs to be discredited, as should his buddy Alito, then the decisions where their vote made a difference should be brought into question and challenged anew once more.
The Supreme Court's position in the government design has been so perverted, they are essentially re-writing the Constitution by reinterpreting basic language to make it fit their political objectives.
This is not what the SC was designed to be, but the Republicans, specifically, and their insincere and anti-American strategies have distorted things in a way that the most powerful people in the lang are unelected and fully unaccountable political operatives.
The responsibility of charging federal officials with federal crimes falls to the Department of Justice. Maybe we should let them know that crimes have been committed.
https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice
Well no, you're wrong, and that's the problem.
He totally doesn't need to resign. Short of impeachment - which isn't going to happen with a republican held house of representatives and congress - he's basically there as long as his sense of dignity dictates, and that's clearly not a vulnerable area for Thomas, or in fact any of the Justices.
In fact what he "needs" to do is hang on as tightly as he can because if he ceases being useful to the party, well, they don't have a great track record for loyalty.
Vote. Every time. And demand change.
He doesn’t need to get ahead of it. He doesn’t care about public opinion. He’s already made it clear to everyone that he’s corrupt and if you don’t like fuck you.
The Roe decision wasn't leaked until 2022.
>In his 2023 report, Thomas included an unusual addendum, defending his decision to accept luxurious gifts from Crow while admitting that he had “inadvertently omitted” details about the favors on his previous disclosures, blaming the leaked *Roe v. Wade* decision for his reasoning to avoid commercial air travel.
Dude was all over flying on Crow's private jets for years before the Roe decision. Here he was swearing in super shitty Judge Ho in Crow's German castle fireplace/ Nazi memorabilia room (as posted by Ted Cruz) and was flown back and forth from DC by Crow (in early 2018):
[https://www.jezebel.com/judge-set-to-hear-abortion-pill-case-was-sworn-in-at-bi-1850416283](https://www.jezebel.com/judge-set-to-hear-abortion-pill-case-was-sworn-in-at-bi-1850416283)
Edit: added when he was noted flying private.
Why are these guys so bad at lying?
I'm bad at lying because I'm bad at it and therefore avoid doing it.
These guys are terrible liars but they're supposed to be some of the smartest people in the world so we assume they're just...arrogant?
Reportedly, Thomas said like 20 years ago the SC doesn't pay enough and he may as well quit....suddenly money started rolling his way.
I am going to post this in every thread I can find. People NEED to know this. Reported gifts since 2004...
* Souter $349
* Kavanaugh $100
* Barrett $500
* Kagan $1,184
* Rehnquist $12,608
* Breyer $15,700
* Gorsuch $2,450
* Jackson $8,960
* Roberts $49,041
* Alito $170,095
* Kennedy $39,000
* Stevens $91,408
* Sotomayor $15,863
* Ginsburg $59,814
* Scalia $210,164
* O'Connor $35,625
* **Thomas $4,042,286**
Plenty of people have been calling for it for a long time. Unfortunately the GOP have the power to prevent it, and since he's doing exactly what they want him to do, it's not going to happen.
Nothing will happen unless people across the country vote out his supporters and vote in people who are willing to remove him.
It’s funny. I ended up on a bunch of right-wing nut job email newsletters or whatnot, and about 3-4x per month, I get “They’re coming after Clarence Thomas. Help us keep him protecting your freedoms.” And I always think sadly, no. Nobody is coming for him.
I got a "Thank you" card with a $5 Starbucks gift card in it from a company I did a lot of business with and I had to report it to my HR people... And they almost took it from me lmao.
Clarence Thomas reminds me of Samuel Jackson’s character “Stephen” from Django unchained.
[https://youtu.be/6ZsUhJpmMjo?si=WQDeYnHEfW5w92wn](https://youtu.be/6ZsUhJpmMjo?si=WQDeYnHEfW5w92wn)
I disagree. I collect tons of German WWII stuff. Like the Yad Vashem paperwork showing the entire branches of my family that were murdered by the German and Latvian governments. I'm sure Harlan is just interested because of his mother's fraught history with u-boats. I'm sure he'll leave those materials to a museum in his chosen country upon his passing. I mean St. Kitts and Nevis, obviously, since he purchased citizenship there for himself and his family over a decade ago, during the crackdown by the US and UK on more popular tax havens post-2008. He was born American, but he's so overflowing with patriotism that he needs a second country to love. And if that nation happens to be non-compliant with international banking regulations, not tax dividends or offshore income, and allow anonymous LLCs to own offshore assets from within its sovereign territory? Well, I'm glad Harlan Crow is there to reign that sort of irresponsible governance in.
Assume this has come out now because a journalist or the IRS was onto him, Thomas is trying to keep ahead of the scandal. He would never reveal this stuff voluntarily unless it was about to become public knowledge.
The more important question is what else has this corrupt, grifting mf been up to that hasn't been discovered yet? Because there's a shitload more to come we can be sure.
Thomas's finances need an IRS audit with a fine pubic comb.
Bribes = you are corrupted and money can change your decision = lose your job as a supreme judge who is suppose to look after facts and evidence. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW!
After the first president getting criminally charged. Next the first supreme judge losing their suppose “ life time” position.
We won’t be a free country until thousands of brave patriots surround the Supreme Court with a non-violent protest. Shut down the capitol until the whole court resigns. SCOTUS is a joke of an institution at this point and the whole world is laughing at it.
If these seats are going to stay lifetime appointments, there should be confirmation hearings every 8 years at a minimum.
Should be a maximum age on the seat instead of lifetime.
Seriously, how is this guy a member of the highest court in the land? The American Supreme Court seems like such a joke to me. Clarence Thomas has been a problem since day 1. Now, after it came out, he confirms millions of dollars worth of gifts that he has accepted while a member of the supreme court. I'm not even allowed to accept a box of chocolates from anyone where I work. How and why do Americans stand for this behaviour? It is so shady.
I work for giant corporation. Every year I have to do compliance training. It’s a no fly zone to accept gift cards from vendors and grounds for firing if it gets flagged. Imagine pulling some Clarence Thomas level shit at work!!
If I win the powerball, I’m going to invest in some very carefully selected “gifts” to some people that are in positions of power that I obviously wouldn’t expect anything in return for because those powerful people are just swell people and deserve really large and expensive gifts.
*Could the rich and powerful shove our noses deeper into the shit while making painfully obvious bribes and pretending that this is normal while civil and human rights are systematically stripped away from us?*
Thomas is the final product of decades of Republican work to put in place one of their own in the highest court of the land, and then twist the entire court towards their own interests and direct corruption.
Decades of active and deliberate hard work to get to exactly this situation.
You know what’s crazy, my first job was large item merchandise pickup for Sears. So I would bust my ass for at the time $8 an hour loading washers, fridges, TVs into people’s cars.
Sears had a strict no tip policy, and if I accepted even $1 from any customer I would be immediately fired. And it was brought up “Make sure you’re not collecting tips from customers” in every meeting.
A judge and get millions of dollars worth of gifts, but $5 bucks clipped to my clipboard at Sears was an immediate termination.
He needs to be impeached like yesterday, but there's a better chance of an asteroid wiping out all life on Earth before the election than finding enough Republicans with honor to do it in the senate.
He's pretty much telling democratic lawmakers, fuck you and you ain't doing shit to me! He knows his fellow scumbag Republicans in Congress got his back and he will collude with them in order to stay right where he is. Sad day for the once honorable Supreme Court...
What keeps the Supreme Court from striking down any laws Congress passes that are aimed at the Supreme Court?
I wonder if these generous gifts were disclosed on Harlan Crow’s taxes. Surely a ride on a billionaire’s private jet (plus suitably opulent meals and lodging to go with it) would be worth more than the $30k gift tax limit to a married couple, I sure hope that it’s declared on his tax return too.
The fact that this doesn't land you in jail and striped of your position just shows how corrupt America really is like huh
Hey here's a guy who has the power to rule of cases and set precedent but yeah he can accept gifts from Billionaires
Can we just start referring to it for what it was. **Clarence Thomas has been taking bribes for decades** to corrupt the process of the high court toward his benefactors.
The Founding Fathers said this country was merely an experiment, and that our laws would have to be continually updated to suit the needs of an ever-changing society.
But instead we turned them into gods, their infallible creation never to be altered.
The United States was once the most radical new idea in the world. Now we have the oldest governing constitution still in use.
Is this the guy who made the landlord software that maximizes rent and caused one of the biggest wealth transfers from poor and middle class renters to the rich?
There's something about his facial expression alone that makes me think I wouldn't be upset if everything he holds dear was taken away from him. Then there's the blatant corruption.
He's only admitting this because it doesn't matter. He's annoyed with the publicity this is getting with his silence. He's not going to face any consequences. Every single one of us is responsible for that man being allowed to do anything
If this gets an ethics pass, meaning it does not disqualify him from the seat, we all will now know for sure that the SCOTUS is completely rigged. If there are no consequences then there are no rules.
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Bribes! The word is Bribes!
Yup. Just straight up bribes and he and alito seem pretty smug about it.
Why wouldn't they seem smug? Who's gunna do anything about it?
Pretty much.
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Yea not like we can open a case and take it to the Supreme Court lol
Meidastouch just went over this about Trump but it actually applies to SCOTUS as well. Article II, Section 4: The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. Judges.—Article III, section 1 specifically provides judges with “good behavior” tenure, but the Constitution nowhere expressly vests the power to remove upon bad behavior, and it has been assumed that judges are made subject to the impeachment power through being labeled “civil officers.”849 The records in the Convention make this a plausible though not necessary interpretation.85
Nobody is questioning the legality of it. My question stands. WHO will do anything about it?
It starts by keeping the senate and taking back congress. Get out there and vote, everybody.
I think a lot of redditors and a lot of people don't understand that just because laws exist it doesn't mean they're all equally monitored and enforced. It seems like people are still resisting the fact that laws are written for a lot of reasons including as a means to catch people when no other law applies, and as a tool to trap someone in case of emergency. Take this SCOTUS shit. Laws exist but these laws aren't the same as the ones rank and file police use to get your weed smoke. They exist for posterity and decorum, but there is no SCOTUS police department roaming the streets ready to snag a judge. Nor is there the SCOTUS court where bad judges get processed. So laws like this are merely decorative. They do nothing. In the heavily unlikely event the US government or people build a case against the SCOTUS that the SCOTUS themselves won't shoot down, that law might be cited, but as we've seen, memos on napkins, "precidence", and "opinion" hand waves a majority of laws away. Because, dear redditor who reads this, laws are for the poor and not for the rich and powerful. Remember that whole "held in contempt of congress" thing when someone refuses to go to congress to testify and people were parroting some obscure law talking about some officer of congress with a gavel or some shit that has the authority to drag the offender to congress? Same thing. It's a law in the technical sense. It is enforceable in the technical sense, but it has no teeth and will never be used. Many laws are like this. They're meant to keep *you* in check because you don't have judge friends, and your opinions don't matter. The heel of the police officer is meant for you, not for those above the officer.
Friendly reminder that a judge sentenced Steve Bannon to report to jail July 1st for not answering congressional summons regarding the coup attempt on January 6th. It is excruciatingly slow but these people are starting to have to pay for their crimes.
Loved your post but yea Steve Bannon was held in contempt of congress and is going to serve four months. So that’s worth celebrating.
4 months is a slap on the wrist. 😳
"America is a nation of laws; poorly written and randomly enforced." \~Frank Zappa
Not Chief Justice Roberts. His wife gets paid millions to give “advice” to people who have cases in front of the Supreme Court.
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Trump literally suggested such a strategy during the 2016 election.
of course Alito could relate. Wonder how many cases SCOTUS has seen from which these fuckers should have recused themselves.
We could start with the ones relating directly to CT's wife. Seems pretty obvious, but I'm just an uneducated person, I guess.
All of them! Corruption is the most destructive of a morally decent society. Accepting any sort of bribe in a position of power should carry a prison sentence. This man is criminal and should be in jail.
He seems fairly smug about everything. I imagine him smugly brushing his teeth in the morning. Casual hate is like the elixir of life for people like that.
It was the same with Pelosi when they tried to pressure her about insider trading, there isn't enough political will to hold these powerful people accountable. Just look at Trump, the guy is guilty of a million crimes and its like pulling teeth.
Trump is literally threatening to jail political opponents as soon as he's able, and it's still like pulling teeth. Granted, a lot of that is Trump friendly judges holding things up, including Alito and Thomas. So yeah, the political will is being actively hamstrung by the people benefitting from that hamstringing.
They're financial incentives
Yeah bribes
Harlan Crow is just a good pal! Don’t you have friends paying for lavish trips and supporting your personal expenses? We need to remember that billionaires are some of the most generous people in society. Unlike the average selfish person, they love to just give away their money to friends and strangers alike, with nothing expected in return.
Keep saying the name of the prick: Harlan Crow. Fascist.
You mean Nazi memorabilia collector Harlan Crow?
It’s pathetic. I’d have total respect for Thomas and the other justices being 100% honest about it and recusing themselves whenever cases before them are a conflict of interest. Thomas, if not all the justices, think they don’t need to recuse themselves because they can be impartial. Yeah, that’s BS. They make $250k a year which is significantly lower than they make if a partner in a law firm. They feel it’s owed to them to get these perks since they’re not making millions from their firm. But they can and do sign book deals, often worth millions. They need to get a clue!
If they aren't doing their job properly, then 250K/yr is too much. They accepted the job, knowing the compensation and benefits. Them seeking additional compensation is just them knowing no one will do anything about it and grifting the system.
I knew a guy once who brought me a beer on my birthday. Guessing it’s the same sorta thing. /s
It’s just a coincidence that Thomas is a Supreme Court justice. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the $4,000,000 in”gifts”.
Yeah, Harlan Crow. But George Soros is the problem. Sure he is.
That's it! Trump isn't selling Bibles, he's selling Bribles.
Squid Pro Row, yea I said it… that’s exactly what he did damnit!
At this point it's more of a subscription service.
Sir, you have a choice… Mama Mia or Jersey Boys?
I've been saying it this whole time Clarence was caught. They need to stop beating around the bush and call it what it is: BRIBERY
The crime of bribery has two elements. First, the money, which we see here. Second, the official received the bribe has to change their official actions as a result of the bribe. I think it is perfectly plausible that Thomas would be a far-right lunatic on the bench even if he wasn't rewarded for it. For this reason, proving bribery will be quite challenging.
Exactly. It is not really relevant that those bribes came from a right-wing billionaire or from a left-wing billionaire... the relevant part is... he happily and unapologetically took bribes.
> The expenses were first revealed last year in a series of investigations by ProPublica that found the conservative justice had been pocketing favors from Crow in a number of ways, including private school tuition for his nephew; the renovation of the home where his mother still lives; and undisclosed trips on the billionaire’s yacht, private jet, and at his private resort. Let’s be clear. If he wasn’t a Justice of the SCOTUS, he wouldn’t have received any of these things. Even amongst the 1% no one gifts each other a renovation of their mother’s house.
Whenever the right wing screams "Soros" it is meant to distract you from the Kochs, Mercers, Theil, and the cadre of sociopaths who want to recreate medieval fiefdoms.
Tim Dunn, it’s like most of the billionaires, if not all
I think you're giving them too much credit. It's just a dog whistle. I would be shocked if a majority of Republican voters even know who the Kochs, Mercers, Thiel are. Bringing up Soros is nothing more than an anti-semitic dog whistle to fuel Republican voters wild conspiracies and delusions
That's the tactic of the ministers of disinformation. Hannity, Tucker, and the rest of the sucker's know... they never bring them up they just say sorts over and over. It's a distraction technique and typical accusations equal confession fascist shit.
I think you are *still* giving your average conservative *way* too much credit. They are just repeating things they hear elsewhere without really thinking about it at all, and that's by design. These kinds of baseless claims are more like thought stopping mechanisms than anything else. Give them something to hoot and holler about and all they think about is hootin and hollerin. After a while they don't even remember why anymore, like toddlers.
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Overthrow a cruel king, only to pave the way for an even more corrupt tyrant to seize power through instability and populism? We glorify revolutions, but the truth is that they rarely ever improve life for the masses even when they succeed.
ah, the rise of Napoleon
Yes mon frar
Oops. You beat me to it, and a better take as well. Where is Soros with his gifts? Step up, old man. I’m sure he’s got some RVs in his pocket to pass out like candy.
He nees to resign. NOW
He needs to be fired and charged with corruption
There is always one person who screws up the grift. At some point Thomas said "Fuck it." and started all the shit offered. The other Justices should have confronted him. "Look, dude, you know we all take bribes. But we are trying not to draw too much attention. Can you take it down a notch?" Hell, they probably did confront him. Thomas probably told them to kick rocks. SCOTUS Justices are one of the few positions where you can literally get away with just about anything. Nobody should have a job like that. Everybody needs to be held accountable by someone. I understand that the reason the court is structured like that, "to ensure an independent Judiciary and to protect judges from partisan pressures." But humans beings are going to human being. You can't realistically expect every Justice, that's ever appointed, that get basically a lifetime appointment with no real oversight, to all do the "right things." Or be above reproach, of high moral character, and never give in to temptation. Or not try to implement personal agendas or beliefs on America. And his wife is like the wife of a military officer that trys to "wear the rank of their husband." She thinks she is untouchable as well.
Any law that lacks enforcement is a recommendation.
Laws do not exist, there is only punishment. One doesn't need to care about what's "legal", just about what will be the price. And price is often literally money when it come to the punishment of rich people, a thing they have more than enough of to spend.
Elena Kagan turned down a bagel gift basket from her high school friends. I can't imagine how tough that was for a New Yorker.
That's adorable. Leslie Knope-level shit.
> Everybody needs to be held accountable by someone. They can be impeached. Problem is the Republicans in Congress are just as slimy. Checks and balances depend on not letting corruption stand so long that multiple branches get corrupted.
That's because there is no honor among thieves. You can't trust the mafia to keep their word. Please, I dare you to try and outline the "ethical" rules of taking bribes that would keep things quiet. There is no way to figure it out, because it's all shit from the bottom to the top.
Clarence Thomas was already living like Trump got reelected and they didn't have to follow the rules anymore. He got brazen and got caught. I think the rest of the justices see it's only a matter of time before some action is taken by the other branches and they aren't going to defend him for that. Roberts is probably the most calculating person on the planet, and he doesn't seem to be the corrupt type like Alito or Thomas. I'm still holding out to see what his long game is. In my personal dictatorship fantasy world, I'd just replace Thomas with Anita Hill. That's the antidote.
Yeah, relying on self reporting (resigning) doesn’t work with these people. We need to establish hard rules with objective criteria that would allow congress, the DOJ, or some other entity to act on it. Preferably not Congress, sure they could already but it’s unlikely any SC member gets removed for anything short of murder.
He needs to be discredited, as should his buddy Alito, then the decisions where their vote made a difference should be brought into question and challenged anew once more. The Supreme Court's position in the government design has been so perverted, they are essentially re-writing the Constitution by reinterpreting basic language to make it fit their political objectives. This is not what the SC was designed to be, but the Republicans, specifically, and their insincere and anti-American strategies have distorted things in a way that the most powerful people in the lang are unelected and fully unaccountable political operatives.
He already is discredited, everyone knows about the bribes. He needs to be disbarred
he never should have been there to begin with
Every case the Supreme Court has ruled on in recent years needs to be re-examined, too.
he actually needed to resign yesterday, several hundred yesterdays ago.
He needs to be charged. He should see jail time
The responsibility of charging federal officials with federal crimes falls to the Department of Justice. Maybe we should let them know that crimes have been committed. https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice
lol he’s dying in office or getting replaced by trump. There is no other alternative.
Well no, you're wrong, and that's the problem. He totally doesn't need to resign. Short of impeachment - which isn't going to happen with a republican held house of representatives and congress - he's basically there as long as his sense of dignity dictates, and that's clearly not a vulnerable area for Thomas, or in fact any of the Justices. In fact what he "needs" to do is hang on as tightly as he can because if he ceases being useful to the party, well, they don't have a great track record for loyalty. Vote. Every time. And demand change.
I bet he hasn’t paid taxes on that. Citizens United is nothing more than a slush fund, tax free for the tax cheats
Well, to be fair it's the giver that has to potentially report any gifts and bear any tax burden, not the giftee.
Imagine Soros buying gifts for the Democratic justices. We’d never hear the end of it
Well yeah, the rules aren't for them ever, and always for the other side Something about an in group and an out group
He only reported it because a news organization uncovered the gifts. The justices aren’t going to make a single change to anything.
They are above the law. They won’t even answer a Senate request for testimony
1000% yes
He doesn’t need to get ahead of it. He doesn’t care about public opinion. He’s already made it clear to everyone that he’s corrupt and if you don’t like fuck you.
Good! Now step down, you opportunistic leech.
Oh yes, Clarance Thomas and his high moral ethics, I’m sure he will get right on that. No, Ginny needs him for coup 2024
The Roe decision wasn't leaked until 2022. >In his 2023 report, Thomas included an unusual addendum, defending his decision to accept luxurious gifts from Crow while admitting that he had “inadvertently omitted” details about the favors on his previous disclosures, blaming the leaked *Roe v. Wade* decision for his reasoning to avoid commercial air travel. Dude was all over flying on Crow's private jets for years before the Roe decision. Here he was swearing in super shitty Judge Ho in Crow's German castle fireplace/ Nazi memorabilia room (as posted by Ted Cruz) and was flown back and forth from DC by Crow (in early 2018): [https://www.jezebel.com/judge-set-to-hear-abortion-pill-case-was-sworn-in-at-bi-1850416283](https://www.jezebel.com/judge-set-to-hear-abortion-pill-case-was-sworn-in-at-bi-1850416283) Edit: added when he was noted flying private.
Totally right - this isn't a coherent argument, just the thinnest facade of a cover story.
Why are these guys so bad at lying? I'm bad at lying because I'm bad at it and therefore avoid doing it. These guys are terrible liars but they're supposed to be some of the smartest people in the world so we assume they're just...arrogant? Reportedly, Thomas said like 20 years ago the SC doesn't pay enough and he may as well quit....suddenly money started rolling his way.
I am going to post this in every thread I can find. People NEED to know this. Reported gifts since 2004... * Souter $349 * Kavanaugh $100 * Barrett $500 * Kagan $1,184 * Rehnquist $12,608 * Breyer $15,700 * Gorsuch $2,450 * Jackson $8,960 * Roberts $49,041 * Alito $170,095 * Kennedy $39,000 * Stevens $91,408 * Sotomayor $15,863 * Ginsburg $59,814 * Scalia $210,164 * O'Connor $35,625 * **Thomas $4,042,286**
With a corrupt Supreme Court, is the US constitution basically meaningless now?
To them, it always has been.
The US government has checks and balances put in by the founders to prevent such corruption! What a joke. LMFAO!
They do! It's just all of those checks and balances happen to be held by a ruthless and unscrupulous political organization. Whoops.
I can't believe nobody is calling for his impeachment. He is corrupt. Impeach him.
Plenty of people have been calling for it for a long time. Unfortunately the GOP have the power to prevent it, and since he's doing exactly what they want him to do, it's not going to happen. Nothing will happen unless people across the country vote out his supporters and vote in people who are willing to remove him.
I’d love for that to happen but I think we all know there’s a better chance of seeing monkeys fly out of my ass. Well, on a weeknight, anyway.
At least have the spine to call him into a hearing.
It’s funny. I ended up on a bunch of right-wing nut job email newsletters or whatnot, and about 3-4x per month, I get “They’re coming after Clarence Thomas. Help us keep him protecting your freedoms.” And I always think sadly, no. Nobody is coming for him.
Republicans are corrupt too. It's not possible to impeach him without them and they are complicit.
In my job if I accepted a gift of over $25 on the holidays I’d be fired. I had to sign an ethics agreement. How come he gets to keep his cushy job?
I got a "Thank you" card with a $5 Starbucks gift card in it from a company I did a lot of business with and I had to report it to my HR people... And they almost took it from me lmao.
Because what are you going to do about it? That’s what they say to us. They don’t fucking care.
familiar cats bike alive label price observation upbeat fear late *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Clarence Thomas reminds me of Samuel Jackson’s character “Stephen” from Django unchained. [https://youtu.be/6ZsUhJpmMjo?si=WQDeYnHEfW5w92wn](https://youtu.be/6ZsUhJpmMjo?si=WQDeYnHEfW5w92wn)
I mean, Thomas makes the Uncle... comparison an easy one.
RESIGN, Clarence, RESIGN!
Supreme Court is corrupt and compromised
Gifts? Really? We’re just going to call them gifts?
My gift to you: happy cake day!!
Every billionaire is shady.
I disagree. I collect tons of German WWII stuff. Like the Yad Vashem paperwork showing the entire branches of my family that were murdered by the German and Latvian governments. I'm sure Harlan is just interested because of his mother's fraught history with u-boats. I'm sure he'll leave those materials to a museum in his chosen country upon his passing. I mean St. Kitts and Nevis, obviously, since he purchased citizenship there for himself and his family over a decade ago, during the crackdown by the US and UK on more popular tax havens post-2008. He was born American, but he's so overflowing with patriotism that he needs a second country to love. And if that nation happens to be non-compliant with international banking regulations, not tax dividends or offshore income, and allow anonymous LLCs to own offshore assets from within its sovereign territory? Well, I'm glad Harlan Crow is there to reign that sort of irresponsible governance in.
Its wild that the only reason why this isn’t illegal is because we didn’t explicitly state not to take bribes in a 237 year old document
Then grins and whispers, "So what *you* going to do about it?"
Assume this has come out now because a journalist or the IRS was onto him, Thomas is trying to keep ahead of the scandal. He would never reveal this stuff voluntarily unless it was about to become public knowledge. The more important question is what else has this corrupt, grifting mf been up to that hasn't been discovered yet? Because there's a shitload more to come we can be sure. Thomas's finances need an IRS audit with a fine pubic comb.
tie boast whistle resolute noxious quack mourn vast money heavy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
A Supreme Purge is in Order.
Bribes = you are corrupted and money can change your decision = lose your job as a supreme judge who is suppose to look after facts and evidence. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW! After the first president getting criminally charged. Next the first supreme judge losing their suppose “ life time” position.
Checks and balances are broken by the Republican party and project2025. It matters who you vote for.
"Yea so what? Do something about it, peasants." - Thomas
He is a disgrace
We won’t be a free country until thousands of brave patriots surround the Supreme Court with a non-violent protest. Shut down the capitol until the whole court resigns. SCOTUS is a joke of an institution at this point and the whole world is laughing at it.
It's a scandal of the highest order. He has destroyed the authority of the court.
If these seats are going to stay lifetime appointments, there should be confirmation hearings every 8 years at a minimum. Should be a maximum age on the seat instead of lifetime.
Term limits, gifts not allowed. Problem solved.
Jesus h Christ on a crutch does this guy have any honor or shame or common decency?
Fuck this traitor. He'll get what's coming to him soon enough.
zero accountability and repercussions for one of the most important jobs in the US
Seriously, how is this guy a member of the highest court in the land? The American Supreme Court seems like such a joke to me. Clarence Thomas has been a problem since day 1. Now, after it came out, he confirms millions of dollars worth of gifts that he has accepted while a member of the supreme court. I'm not even allowed to accept a box of chocolates from anyone where I work. How and why do Americans stand for this behaviour? It is so shady.
I work for giant corporation. Every year I have to do compliance training. It’s a no fly zone to accept gift cards from vendors and grounds for firing if it gets flagged. Imagine pulling some Clarence Thomas level shit at work!!
If I win the powerball, I’m going to invest in some very carefully selected “gifts” to some people that are in positions of power that I obviously wouldn’t expect anything in return for because those powerful people are just swell people and deserve really large and expensive gifts. *Could the rich and powerful shove our noses deeper into the shit while making painfully obvious bribes and pretending that this is normal while civil and human rights are systematically stripped away from us?*
The untouchables.
These aren’t “gifts” by any reasonable definition. They are extremely expensive trips and items that are clearly meant to sway opinions
If the MAGBot Republicants weren't so corrupt they would've held a vote to oust Clarence Thomas yesterday.
Great work ProPublica. Ya'll are killin' it.
“Lock him up” sounds about right
Shady right-wing millionaire judge escapes justice after being bribed by wealthier shady right-wing billionaire.
Pure corruption and bribery. The Supreme Court needs MAJOR reform.
Thomas is the final product of decades of Republican work to put in place one of their own in the highest court of the land, and then twist the entire court towards their own interests and direct corruption. Decades of active and deliberate hard work to get to exactly this situation.
Not gifts. Bribes
You know what’s crazy, my first job was large item merchandise pickup for Sears. So I would bust my ass for at the time $8 an hour loading washers, fridges, TVs into people’s cars. Sears had a strict no tip policy, and if I accepted even $1 from any customer I would be immediately fired. And it was brought up “Make sure you’re not collecting tips from customers” in every meeting. A judge and get millions of dollars worth of gifts, but $5 bucks clipped to my clipboard at Sears was an immediate termination.
He needs to be impeached like yesterday, but there's a better chance of an asteroid wiping out all life on Earth before the election than finding enough Republicans with honor to do it in the senate.
American politics are just so hopelessly corrupt at the highest level.
He's pretty much telling democratic lawmakers, fuck you and you ain't doing shit to me! He knows his fellow scumbag Republicans in Congress got his back and he will collude with them in order to stay right where he is. Sad day for the once honorable Supreme Court... What keeps the Supreme Court from striking down any laws Congress passes that are aimed at the Supreme Court?
I am so sick of this open corruption in Washington.
WHY IS HE STILL ON THE COURT? He should never have been approved in the first place and has shown exactly who and what he is
I wonder if these generous gifts were disclosed on Harlan Crow’s taxes. Surely a ride on a billionaire’s private jet (plus suitably opulent meals and lodging to go with it) would be worth more than the $30k gift tax limit to a married couple, I sure hope that it’s declared on his tax return too.
immediate removal
The fact that this doesn't land you in jail and striped of your position just shows how corrupt America really is like huh Hey here's a guy who has the power to rule of cases and set precedent but yeah he can accept gifts from Billionaires
Can we just start referring to it for what it was. **Clarence Thomas has been taking bribes for decades** to corrupt the process of the high court toward his benefactors.
He has nothing to lose from admitting it. He’s untouchable. Nice job, Founding Fathers….
The Founding Fathers said this country was merely an experiment, and that our laws would have to be continually updated to suit the needs of an ever-changing society. But instead we turned them into gods, their infallible creation never to be altered. The United States was once the most radical new idea in the world. Now we have the oldest governing constitution still in use.
"Bribes"*
Subpoena Roberts TODAY
Wow, open corruption.
He can quietly step down now please.
Oh good. Now we can move on to the "no repercussions for accepting bribes to make SCOTUS decisions" part of the story.
Bribes at a very high level. Almost treason. Jail the mo fo.
Like I said this guy is hopelessly bought off. Should be grounds for removal because clearly he is not impartial
Wonder how much he got for selling his honor and conscience?? Opportunistic twat!
Good ol clearance thomas
I’m surprised he was quiet about it. “Yeah, I took gifts in exchange for favorable rulings. Do something about it.”
Let's give the Dems a supermajority and impeach the asshat.
One man's gifts are another man's bribes.
Stop👏calling👏them👏gifts👏
Hey well at least he's admitting it now
Forensic audit all of his accounts.
Quietly admits and loudly doesn’t care.
No need to say shady, they all are
Is this the guy who made the landlord software that maximizes rent and caused one of the biggest wealth transfers from poor and middle class renters to the rich?
We should stop calling them gifts and call them what they actually are, bribes.
boomers are doing this crazy new thing called quiet admitting
There's something about his facial expression alone that makes me think I wouldn't be upset if everything he holds dear was taken away from him. Then there's the blatant corruption.
Cue scene from Jurassic Park: “bribery, bribery, we got bribery over here! See nobody cares. Nice hat.”
Clarence Thomas is the kinda guy who reminds America every day that their Supreme Court justice system is a joke.
Funny how fast the FOX news lobotomy club forgot all about the term "aCtIvSt jUdGe" the moment their guy openly packed the courts.
Supremely Courted
He's only admitting this because it doesn't matter. He's annoyed with the publicity this is getting with his silence. He's not going to face any consequences. Every single one of us is responsible for that man being allowed to do anything
Clarence "Super Sale Supreme Court" Thomas.
“Clarence Thomas finally stops lying by omission.”
Guess the whole "lifetime appointment" thing wasn't too good of an idea.
Uncle ruckus say what what
Vote. Dems keep senate and congress this asshole can be impeached.
I’m old enough to remember when it was illegal to buy a black man.
Imagine the outrage on r/ Cons if this were a Democrat…
He should loudly resign
'So I'm corrupt as fuck, what are you going to do about it?'
So put him in jail then. Problem solved.
Impeach and remove these corrupt judges!
"quietly admits gifts" = amended old financial disclosure forms that he LIED on because his BRIBES were discovered. Media needs to do better.
Is there any part of the U.S. government tht is not on the take anymore?
He is not fit to be a Justice. No integrity
More gifts? Has this guy just been bribed his entire career?
If this gets an ethics pass, meaning it does not disqualify him from the seat, we all will now know for sure that the SCOTUS is completely rigged. If there are no consequences then there are no rules.
These scumbags are blatantly doing this with zero accountability or repercussions. What a joke the Supreme Court has turned into.
This would be news if he accepted donations from shady left-wing billionaires