Democratic elected officials are again expressing outrage after new reporting revealed another batch of luxury accommodations provided for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, whose decisions as a member of that judicial body could affect hundreds of millions of Americans. The concern is that these accommodations, whether on a trip or at a high-profile event, could facilitate the development of a conflict of interest as Thomas participates in that all-important decision-making.
“Justice Thomas has brought shame upon himself and the United States Supreme Court with his acceptance of massive, repeated and undisclosed gifts,” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said. “No government official, elected or unelected, could ethically or legally accept gifts of that scale. He should resign immediately.” Lieu repeatedly accused the judge of having violated the law.
Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) spoke similarly. “This morning we learned republican judge clarence thomas took 38 free luxury trips from billionaires,” Pascrell wrote Thursday on Twitter. “Thomas takes cash bribes while crushing your freedoms. He’s corrupt as hell and should resign today.”
Those with concerns have at times sought to distinguish their stances from anything related to policy. In other words, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has, for instance, clarified that it’s not simply that he opposes the decisions that the Supreme Court has made with its current composition featuring a majority of members nominated by a Republican president. Rather, these opponents of the Supreme Court’s direction say their worries are more systematic.
Republican elected officials have sometimes taken the broadsides against Thomas very personally. After earlier reporting began to draw concern, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) accused Democrats of harboring animosity that a Black leader could be conservative. (Clarence Thomas is Black.) He also claimed Democrats were just upset with Thomas’s approach to interpreting the law. “They’re not looking at any other judges. This is a political smear job directed at Clarence Thomas, because he is an extraordinary constitutionalist,” Cruz claimed on Fox.
Justice Thomas has brought shame upon himself and the United States Supreme Court with his acceptance of massive, repeated and undisclosed gifts. No government official, elected or unelected, could ethically or legally accept gifts of that scale. He should resign immediately. https://t.co/RAda5Eke0h
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 10, 2023
This morning we learned republican judge clarence thomas took 38 free luxury trips from billionaires. Thomas takes cash bribes while crushing your freedoms. He’s corrupt as hell and should resign today. pic.twitter.com/vqwpAq9VmV
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) August 10, 2023
