Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez filed impeachment proceedings against conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito on Wednesday.
The impeachment resolutions for both justices cite “failure to disclose financial income, gifts and repayments, ownership interests, debts and transactions, among other information.”
The resolution for Thomas also refers to his “refusal to recuse himself from matters” affecting his wife’s legal and financial interests.
In the case against Alito, “refusal to recuse himself from cases in which he had a personal bias or prejudice against a party to the case before the court” is cited.
The resolutions come at a time when Democratic unity has been shattered and knives are being drawn on President Biden after last month’s devastating debate, during which he remarkably remarked: “We finally defeated Medicare.”
Ocasio-Cortez has firmly endorsed Biden as the nominee, while other Democrats from vulnerable districts have called on him to step aside.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday filed articles of impeachment for conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito
“The rampant corruption crisis at the Supreme Court has now escalated into a constitutional crisis that threatens American democracy as a whole.”
The complaint against Alito involves a pair of flags the judge had hanging outside his home: an upside-down American flag and an “Appeal to Heaven” flag. Alito has said it was his wife’s decision to allow the flags, which have been carried by those who do not believe Joe Biden won the 2020 election, to fly outside their home.
“When I saw it, I immediately asked my wife to take it down, but she refused for days,” he said.
Alito has not recused himself from two cases involving Trump that were still pending before the court at the time the flag was reported.
Alito’s second charge involves his relationship with billionaire Paul Singer, who paid Alito for a lavish fishing trip to Alaska, according to a ProPublica report. He failed to report the trip in his annual disclosure.
Alito has repeatedly failed to recuse himself from lawsuits involving the billionaires’ companies when they later went to trial.
The impeachment resolutions for both justices mention “failure to disclose financial income, gifts and reimbursements, ownership interests, obligations and transactions, among other information”
The Thomas revelations stem from his now widely reported relationship with billionaire Harlan Crow. Thomas accepted lavish gifts — a trip to Bali, a college tuition bill for one of his relatives, other private jet and yacht trips.
ProPublica the lid blown up of Thomas’ unknown travels.
The resolutions were co-sponsored by several progressives in the House of Representatives: Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Rashida Talib, D-Mich., Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y.