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Former GOP House members criticize Judge Clarence Thomas for his cozy relationship with a billionaire.
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ProPublica reported that Thomas has been secretly going on lavish vacations at the expense of mega-donor Harlan Crow.
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One of Thomas’ fellow conservatives says he “shouldn’t go near a court decision”.
Conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is being slammed from across the political aisle for allegedly taking lavish vacations paid for by a GOP mega-donor — with a former member of the Republican House saying Thomas “wasn’t may come close to a judicial decision”.
Thomas, who joined the Supreme Court in 1991, has been secretly making extravagant trips on private jets and superyachts for decades — all at the expense of billionaire real estate magnate Harlan Crow, according to a bombshell report by ProPublica released Thursday.
Current Democratic lawmakers condemned Thomas.
“This goes beyond party or partisanship,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York tweeted. “This level of corruption is shocking – almost cartoonish. Thomas should be impeached.”
Rep. Ted Lieu of California, another Democrat, wrote on Twitter“Why did Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas keep these ultra-luxurious gifts from a GOP donor a secret? Because Judge Thomas knew it was wrong to accept these secret gifts.”
But the report even angered Thomas’ fellow conservatives.
Former GOP Virginia House member Denver Riggleman responded to ProPublica’s report on Twitter, saying, “Our country has been poisoned from within. Ethics be damned.”
“Clarence Thomas should not go anywhere near a court decision,” Riggleman — who was a staff member of the House Jan. 6 committee — wrote. “By [January 6] yachts, we must fight the rot.”
Another former member of the Republican House Adam Kinzinger tweeted “Regardless of your politics, this cannot be acceptable.”
Yet current Republican lawmakers — including House and Senate leaders — have remained silent.
The donor, Harlan Crow, told ProPublica that he “doesn’t know that any of our friends ever lobby or try to influence Judge Thomas on any case, and I would never invite anyone who I believe had the intent to do so.”
Ethics experts told ProPublica that Thomas may have broken the law by failing to report such trips on his annual financial records, though some “personal hospitality” expenses, such as lodging and entertainment, are not required to be disclosed.
Read the original article on Business Insider
