The fullest accounting yet shows how Thomas has secretly reaped the benefits from a network of wealthy and well-connected patrons that is far more extensive than previously understood.

The fullest accounting yet shows how Thomas has secretly reaped the benefits from a network of wealthy and well-connected patrons that is far more extensive than previously understood.

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
      152·
      1 year ago

      Can’t help but feel that all attacks on him are racially motivated. Gives me the ick

      because it can’t possibly be that this man has received millions of dollars worth of gifts from extremely wealthy individuals who would absolutely have an interest in owning a justice of SCOTUS.

      from the article:

      Perhaps even more significant, the pattern exposes consistent violations of judicial norms, experts, including seven current and former federal judges appointed by both parties, told ProPublica. “In my career I don’t remember ever seeing this degree of largesse given to anybody,” said Jeremy Fogel, a former federal judge who served for years on the judicial committee that reviews judges’ financial disclosures. “I think it’s unprecedented.”

      “Unprecedented” is an understatement. and if you think Clarence Thomas isn’t for sale… ask yourself why it is that his “good friends” only came around after Thomas was appointed to SCOTUS?

      yeah. Great friends… who want something. And Thomas is willing to sell Americans out to give it to them.

        • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
          211·
          1 year ago

          it has nothing to do with his skin color. you’re accusation of racism absolutely has zero merit… and I suspect you’re making it because it’s quite literally the only defense you have for this guy.

          My dislike of him has everything to do with how he’s ruling, and the asininely stupid arguments he uses to make them.

          Oh. Did you know that Clarence Thomas has:

          • Aided in destroying Roe v. Wade… because the 14th doesn’t explicitly say that women have the right to an abortion? or that we have the right to use contraceptives.
          • attacked affirmative action (this one’s complicated and I’m of the… “we gotta do something about inequality” camp. I don’t have answers… but I suspect neither does Thomas, and some of the bribes are making sure he doesn’t)
          • Was the sole dissenter, in the Jan 6 hearings, when the matter of trump’s documents came before them. which is one case he should have recused himself from because his wife was a potential witness in the case. (and are you really going to tell me that he remained unbiased?)
          • is a speaker for the Federalist Society, and organization which exists solely to impose far-right ideals (including evangelical christian religious law… i.e. anti-abortion) on americans.
          • voted to gut the ability of the EPA to protect americans from climate change (or any other form of new environmental threats.) or indeed, more broadly, for any federal government regulatory agency to create new regulations without the express permission of a non-functional congress.

          and that’s all just in the last few years. Thomas, along with Roberts (an idiot who thinks that the problem with SCOTUS’ lack of integrity isn’t… you know… justices lacking integrity… it’s people talking about how they don’t have integrity) , Kavenaugh (a frat boi who really wants us to know he likes beer, and also a rapist), Barret (… where do I even start…) and Gorsuch (who also has problems with corruption.)

          Oh and if the gifts were entirely legitimate and not at all scandalous… why not report them… like… you know… he’s technically obligated to…? receiving millions of dollars worth of gifts from billionaires who are all very likely to have matters come before the court… and to have indirect interests as well… IS FUCKING CORRUPT.

          lets say that again louder:
          CLARENCE THOMAS IS ACCEPTING BRIBES AND YOUR ACCUSING PEOPLE POINTING THIS OUT OF RACISM, WITHOUT EVER DENYING THAT HE IS IN FACT ACCEPTING MILLIONS IN BRIBES.

        • pedro@lemm.ee
          8·
          1 year ago

          What strikes me is that you don’t even seem to care that there’s an ethical and moral dilemma of having a court justice being offered multi million gifts from billionaires. You only argue that people attack him based on his skin color.

          So you think people (of color or not) that hold high power in the US judicial system should be able to enjoy the benefits of having rich friends and it should not be a concern to anyone? They should be held accountable for it?

          • Driftking@lemmy.ml
            425·
            1 year ago

            Ill put it like this: do you see any of the white judges facing the same extent of backlash? I am not saying that personal relationships between him and his benefactors is a not problem, it’s just that the one black judge is being dog piled, which seems to be racially motivated

              • Driftking@lemmy.ml
                28·
                1 year ago

                Dont twist my words buddy. I said he was being targeted more than any other SC judge

            • pedro@lemm.ee
              2·
              1 year ago

              Honest questions:

              1. Are there allegations as strong against them (the white judges)?

              2. Who would benefit from the hate/racial crime against the black judge? (Certainly not the rich friends who are probably white)

            • Xilly@lemmy.world
              1·
              1 year ago

              I would argue that he has a bit more visibility/scrutiny due to his wife’s connection to Jan 6th and MAGA. Not so say the other judges shouldn’t have as much scrutiny, they should, but that is at least my take on why.

        • Razputinsgirth@kbin.social
          51·
          1 year ago

          Ya know? Of course not that doesn’t make make sense nothing what he said was racially motivation. In fact the only racially motivated thing here is your defensiveness.

        • Papergeist@lemmy.world
          2·
          1 year ago

          William Howard Taft didn’t take bribes when he sat as Chief Justice. I’d say Taft was much more hard working and deserving of constant vacation, but he understood why it meant to be an impartial judge.