Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire

[onthedarkside]

 

IN LATE JUNE 2019, right after the U.S. Supreme Court released its final opinion of the term, Justice Clarence Thomas boarded a large private jet headed to Indonesia, he and his wife were going on vacation: nine days of island-hopping in a volcanic archipelago on a superyacht staffed by a coterie of attendants and a private chef.

 

If Thomas had chartered the plane and the 162-foot yacht himself, the total cost of the trip could have exceeded $500,000, fortunately for him, that wasn’t necessary, he was on vacation with real estate magnate and Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, who owned the jet — and the yacht, too.

 

For more than two decades, Thomas has accepted luxury trips virtually every year from the Dallas businessman without disclosing them, documents and interviews show, these trips appeared nowhere on Thomas’ financial disclosures, his failure to report the flights appears to violate a law passed after Watergate that requires justices, judges, members of Congress and federal officials to disclose most gifts, two ethics law experts said. 

 

READ MORE

https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow

 

[ozimoron]

 

[ozimoron]

And yet the right wing here accuse the dems of politically motivated corruption! Stunning.

[Bkk Brian]

That's a lengthy and damning article. Super yachts, Private jets, exclusive resorts, international luxury travel. All the trimmings of a celebrity not a Supreme court judge, no wonder he failed to report these gifts.

 

He's violated numerous laws.

 

 

[Tug]

Now this is something the dems should be shouting from the rooftops that’s grounds for impeachment imo

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, Tug said:

Now this is something the dems should be shouting from the rooftops that’s grounds for impeachment imo

From his judicial history we know he won't have the decency to resign. The house will have something to say about this after easter I expect.

[ozimoron]

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, vowed "action" on Wednesday in the wake of a new report claiming that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has for years been receiving secret luxury trips funded by a right-wing billionaire.

 

In a statement that was put out hours after ProPublica published a major new report on Thomas' trips funded by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow — which were never revealed publicly despite laws requiring such disclosures — Durbin argued that such actions were unbecoming of a Justice on the United States Supreme Court.

 

"The highest court in the land shouldn't have the lowest ethical standards," Durbin said.

 

https://www.rawstory.com/clarence-thomas-2659749354/

[placeholder]

Someone made a documentary (hagiography?) recently about Clarence. In it he says this about how he prefers to spend his vacations:

“I prefer the RV parks. I prefer the Walmart parking lots to the beaches and things like that. There’s something normal to me about it,” Thomas said. 

https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow

What a phony, lying sack of ....

[ozimoron]

 

[onthedarkside]

UPDATE: Democrats vow action after report of lavish gifts to Clarence Thomas

 

Democrats on Thursday angrily responded to a report that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife were longtime recipients of undisclosed luxury trips from a major Republican Party donor.

 

The Pro-Publica report details how Clarence and Virginia Thomas accepted multiple expensive trips over 20 years from Republican donor Harlan Crow, including flying to Indonesia on Crow's private jet and spending nine days island-hopping on Crow's yacht.

 

The trips, which also include weeks in the summer at Crow's private resort in the Adirondacks, were not included on Clarence Thomas' financial disclosures, the report said.

 

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/04/06/Justice-Thomas-lavish-trips-Crow/7481680806519/

 

[ozimoron]

This is probably the most consequential US story of the year. Watch to the end.

 

 

[pedro01]

He should be out. Not a partisan issue this one. He's crooked.

[Eric Loh]

11 hours ago, ozimoron said:

"The highest court in the land shouldn't have the lowest ethical standards," Durbin said.

Not only lowest ethical standard. Also lowest ethical misconduct in the Anita Hill's accusation. The highest court now has 2 justices accused of sexual misconduct. Trump will be proud of them. 

[metisdead]

A post with a trolling image has been removed.

[GroveHillWanderer]

11 hours ago, placeholder said:

Someone made a documentary (hagiography?) recently about Clarence. In it he says this about how he prefers to spend his vacations:

“I prefer the RV parks. I prefer the Walmart parking lots to the beaches and things like that. There’s something normal to me about it,” Thomas said. 

https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow

What a phony, lying sack of ....

And guess who paid for the documentary. The same mega-rich Republican donor, Harlan Crow.

 

Clarence Thomas said he loves RVs and Walmarts in a documentary financed by the GOP megadonor who was taking him on luxury vacations

[Bkk Brian]

Whitehouse called on Chief Justice John Roberts to ensure a "robust investigation" takes place.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/clarence-thomas-propublica-supreme-court-trips-harlan-crow-code-of-conduct-ethics/

[FritsSikkink]

This corrupt POS should spend the rest of his life in jail.

[bamnutsak]

I'm sure Chief Justice Roberts will conduct a full inquiry, as he did with the Dobb's leak, of Justice Thomas' dealings.

 

 

[ozimoron]

37 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Whitehouse called on Chief Justice John Roberts to ensure a "robust investigation" takes place.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/clarence-thomas-propublica-supreme-court-trips-harlan-crow-code-of-conduct-ethics/

 

3 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

I'm sure Chief Justice Roberts will conduct a full inquiry, as he did with the Dobb's leak, of Justice Thomas' dealings.

Will there be questions under oath? flap, flap, flap, oink.

[Misty]

19 hours ago, onthedarkside said:

For more than two decades, Thomas has accepted luxury trips virtually every year from the Dallas businessman without disclosing them, documents and interviews show, these trips appeared nowhere on Thomas’ financial disclosures, his failure to report the flights appears to violate a law passed after Watergate that requires justices, judges, members of Congress and federal officials to disclose most gifts, two ethics law experts said. 

If only someone had warned them.

 

Testimony to Senate Judiciary Committee Washington, D.C., October 11, 1991   Anita Hill  http://www.speeches-usa.com/Transcripts/anita_hill-testimony.html

 

"After a brief discussions of work, he would turn the conversation to a discussion of sexual matters. His conversations were very vivid. He spoke about acts that he had seen in pornographic films involving such matters as women having sex with animals and films showing group sex or rape scenes. He talked about pornographic materials depicting individuals with large penises or large breasts involving various sex acts. On several occasions, Thomas told me graphically of his own sexual prowess."

 

[ozimoron]

 

[ozimoron]

Clarence Thomas defends undisclosed 'family trips' with GOP megadonor – but here are the facts

 

A law passed in the wake of the Watergate scandal, the Ethics in Government Act, requires Supreme Court justices and many other federal officials to report most gifts to the public.

 

The exemption states that gifts of “food, lodging, or entertainment received as personal hospitality” don’t have to be disclosed.

 

It only applies to gifts received from an individual at that person’s home or at properties that they or their family own.

 

https://www.rawstory.com/thomas-trips-2659756744/

[ozimoron]

 

[Misty]

35 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

Clarence Thomas defends undisclosed 'family trips' with GOP megadonor – but here are the facts

 

A law passed in the wake of the Watergate scandal, the Ethics in Government Act, requires Supreme Court justices and many other federal officials to report most gifts to the public.

 

The exemption states that gifts of “food, lodging, or entertainment received as personal hospitality” don’t have to be disclosed.

 

It only applies to gifts received from an individual at that person’s home or at properties that they or their family own.

 

https://www.rawstory.com/thomas-trips-2659756744/

It's interesting to see how Justice Thomas describes the gift giver Harlan Crow and his wife as "dearest friends".  What, I wonder, was the basis of this friendship? What was their shared experience that contributed to this great friendship?

[ozimoron]

Just now, Misty said:

It's interesting to see how Justice Thomas describes the gift giver Harlan Crow and his wife as "dearest friends".  What, I wonder, was the basis of this friendship? What was their shared experience that contributed to this great friendship?

Thomas would say they met in a Walmart car park. He apparently hangs out in them frequently, if he is to be believed. </sarc>

[ozimoron]

Fast-forward to March 28, 2023, when we learned that Ginni Thomas used a right-wing think tank to channel $600,000 of dark money to her current political operation. Was Crow among those donors? He and Ginni Thomas should both be directly asked about that.

 

https://www.thebulwark.com/clarence-thomas-fancy-trips/

[herfiehandbag]

12 hours ago, Misty said:

It's interesting to see how Justice Thomas describes the gift giver Harlan Crow and his wife as "dearest friends".  What, I wonder, was the basis of this friendship? What was their shared experience that contributed to this great friendship?

Lots of money, and the trappings that goes with it.

 

Harlan Crow has lots of money.

 

Clarence Thomas wanted lots of money.

 

 

[stevenl]

Nothing will come of this. He'll stay where he is and won't recuse himself frany cases with a possible conflict of interest.

[Misty]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Nothing will come of this. He'll stay where he is and won't recuse himself frany cases with a possible conflict of interest.

Some interesting reports on the donor, Harlan Crow

 

 

 

[Misty]

On 4/8/2023 at 7:57 AM, ozimoron said:

Fast-forward to March 28, 2023, when we learned that Ginni Thomas used a right-wing think tank to channel $600,000 of dark money to her current political operation. Was Crow among those donors? He and Ginni Thomas should both be directly asked about that.

 

https://www.thebulwark.com/clarence-thomas-fancy-trips/

Seems likely: