New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is calling for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be impeached over an explosive report that revealed he accepted gifts including luxury jet travel and time on a mega yacht from a real estate lord.
She is one of several Democratic legislators who erupted over a report detailing Thomas’s practice of taking annual vacations with Harlan Crow, without disclosing acceptance of travel arrangements that could total hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“This goes beyond party or partisanship. This level of corruption is shocking – almost cartoonish,” she said tweeted. Thomas must be impeached. Barring some dramatic changes, the Roberts court will be known for this: ranking corruption, the erosion of democracy and the deprivation of human rights,” she added, referring to Chief Justice John Roberts.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who introduced legislation to impose a code of conduct on the Supreme Court, also slammed Thomas.
wrote Murphy: “There is a code of conduct that applies to all but 9 federal judges [on the Supreme Court]. It is no longer okay for the Supreme Court to be the only federal court without a binding code of ethics. For more than a decade, I have introduced the Supreme Court Ethics Act at every Congress.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.) calls for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be impeached over a report on his acceptance of luxury travel
He wrote in another post: “This is outrageous. I don’t care if you agree with Thomas’ politics. Congress cannot allow judges to flout conflict of interest rules so blatantly.”
The explosions came after a ProPublic The report found that Thomas made a ruling in his own favor by allowing himself to use luxury jets, a mega yacht and stunning retreats all owned by the same real estate mogul.
The powerful justice, having found new clout in the 6-3 conservative court, has accepted the “hospitality” of real estate billionaire Harlan Crow for 20 years, enjoying luxury vacations and transportation that he couldn’t afford on his $285,000 a year. year salary.
This includes touring Indonesia’s Pacific waters on a 50-foot superyacht equipped with multiple decks that comes with a crew and a private chef in 2019, according to the report from journalism nonprofit ProPublica.
Thomas and his wife Ginny didn’t have to worry about commercial flights for the nine-day trip, which included traveling aboard a private jet, a Bombardier Global 5000. That brought the cost of the expedition to $500,000, if the Justice Department has it. self-paid, according to the nonprofit’s analysis.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has gone on weekly vacations with real estate magnate Harlan Crow, including an adventure to Indonesia aboard a mega yacht and private jet
The jet seats 16 and its “advanced wing design makes for a quiet flight and a smooth ride,” according to promotional materials.
Thomas has been a regular guest at Crow’s Adirondacks resort, Camp Topridge, which was once owned by the state of New York for use by the governor, but was sold due to high maintenance costs. According to the report, he usually goes for a week every summer. The retreat was built by heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.
It’s all part of a long-standing friendship that began after Thomas joined the Supreme Court following his controversial post-nomination confirmation by President George HW Bush.
To keep up with the outdoor theme, Thomas has also traveled with Crow to the exclusive Bohemian Grove retreat in Sonoma, California, where presidents including Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon have gone.
Thomas has not disclosed the trips. The Supreme Court, unlike other federal courts, does not subject its members to an official code of conduct — although Chief Justice John Roberts has urged judges to consult it for guidance.
Crow called Thomas a dear friend and got to know him after he joined the Supreme Court. Crow is a real estate mogul from Dallas
Thomas makes annual trips to Topridge, Crow’s estate in the Adirondacks
The retreat offers boating and fishing opportunities and features exotic furnishings
Thomas and his wife Ginni traveled aboard a Bombardier Global 5000 private jet. The trips have not been disclosed and do not have to meet the guidelines that the Supreme Court sets itself
Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) again introduced legislation last month to subject the Supreme Court to a code of ethics.
Some ethics experts told ProPublica that Thomas should have disclosed the jet and yacht trips as gifts, though visits to Crow properties may be less problematic.
“If Judge Thomas is allowed free travel on private planes and yachts, failing to report the gifts is a violation of the disclosure law,” said Campaign Legal Center’s Kedric Payne.
Gift rules for members of Congress provide for exceptions for those based on personal friendship, though lawmakers routinely list acceptance of private jet travel on their own financial disclosure forms.
The report puts Thomas back in the news for matters unrelated to his bank statements. That comes after his wife, Ginny, agreed to testify voluntarily before the Jan. 6 House committee about her involvement with other Trump allies in the attempt to overthrow the election.
Crow issued a lengthy statement in response to the new revelations about the extent of his journey with Thomas.
“My wife Kathy and I have been friends with Judge Thomas and his wife Ginni since 1996. We are very good friends,” he said.
“The hospitality we have extended to the Thomas’s over the years is no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends,” he said.
“Justice Thomas and Ginni never asked for this hospitality. We have never asked about a pending or lower court case, and Judge Thomas has never discussed one, and we have never tried to influence Judge Thomas on legal or political matters. More generally, I am not aware that any of our friends have ever lobbied or tried to influence Judge Thomas on any case, and I would never invite anyone who I believe had the intention of doing so, he continued.
He called the trips “gatherings of friends.”
Thomas enjoys greater influence over the 6-3 Conservative court, which has no code of conduct for judges
He also referred to the “number of times” that “we have made contributions to projects that celebrate the life and legacy of Judge Thomas, just as we have done with other great leaders and historically significant figures.”
That was a reference to his gift to Thomas of a Bible owned by Frederick Douglass, valued at the time at $19,000, and other gifts.
The New York Times reported in 2011 that Crow had paid to buy and restore the Georgia fish cannery where Thomas’s father had once worked. He also gave Thomas a bust of Abraham Lincoln that was valued at $15,000 in 2001.
There is no evidence that Crow had any Supreme Court cases.
Crow also donated to the Federalist Society, which gave former President Donald Trump a list of justices to nominate to the Supreme Court, which he drew heavily from. A painting in Topridge shows Crow and Thomas smoking cigars as part of a group that includes Leonard Leo, co-president of the Federalist Society.