Almost a year ago I started talking about the conflicts created for Clarence Thomas, because of his wife’s extremist political activity in Teabuggery Reaches the Extreme Court. Since then it came out that Clarence Thomas “forgot to disclose” that his wife’s activities provide a significant part of his family income. But Virginia Thomas’ new job makes the previous conflict charges pale by comparison.
Do you ever have the sense when you read news that there’s an orchestrated effort for the right wing to raise their middle finger high in the face of the Constitution while extolling it? If you don’t, prepare to experience it now.
Virginia Thomas. You remember her? The wife of Clarence Thomas, head cheerleader at Liberty Central, foam crown and all? The one whose income Justice Thomas "forgot" to disclose? That One.
After leaving her gig with Tea Party front group Liberty Central, Virginia Thomas has moved on to start up her own lobbying firm, Liberty Consulting, Inc (catchy name, that). According to that raving liberal site (NOT) The Politico, Ginni Thomas is on to the next venture:
Now, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, has recast herself yet again, this time as the head of a firm, Liberty Consulting, which boasts on its website using her “experience and connections” to help clients “with “governmental affairs efforts” and political donation strategies.
Thomas already has met with nearly half of the 99 GOP freshmen in the House and Senate, according to an e-mail she sent last week to congressional chiefs of staff, in which she branded herself “a self-appointed, ambassador to the freshmen class and an ambassador to the tea party movement."
Interesting that these very same freshmen aren’t admitting to it or had no idea what Politico was talking about when asked if they had met with her.
An interesting thing, though — Politico had a hard time finding a freshman who has actually met with Ginni Thomas. "This is the spouse of Justice Thomas?" said a seemingly surprised Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ). "No, I’ve never met her. It’s not something I’ve heard about. And I hang out with a lot of freshman," he said.
I sought info from some high-ranking GOP aides, who also have no idea what this is about. In addition, I have left a message with Ginni Thomas, but I doubt I’ll be any more successful than Politico’s efforts on that front:
Reached by phone on Wednesday, Thomas said she was having trouble with the signal, telling a POLITICO reporter: "I would be happy to talk with you, but I really can’t understand clearly what you’re asking, so maybe this is not a good time to talk."
A visit to the website for Thomas’ new venture reveals things I never knew about her. Like how she’s connected to the "center-right movement." If the Tea Party is "center right", we’re all screwed. Just emigrate now. The endorsement page includes glowing reviews from Steve King, Donald Rumsfeld, Morton Blackwell, and the ever-annoying Rick Berman. Yeah. Center right.
Is it just me, or is there something deeply unethical about the spouse of a Supreme Court justice being paid by conservatives to lobby against things like health care reform, and financial regulatory reform, and just about anything that might be called progress? In some ways, this is even more blatant than Liberty Central was. Liberty Central was astroturf advocacy aimed at ordinary people. This is another hack lobbying firm aimed at shaping legislation toward conservatives corporate persons, not citizens. You know, those people Justice Thomas legitimized in the Citizens United decision?
Dave Weigel thinks her situation is a mess. I’m not so sure, but I’d like to think so. He puts it this way:
So you can hire Ginni Thomas to help determine whether a bill will pass constitutional muster if it comes before, you know, her husband.
… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Crooks and Liars>
With a hat-tip to a wonderful reader I call Nameless, because he posted this link in comments to another article a while back, US law is clear. According to, 28 U.S.C. § 455 : US Code a judge must recuse himself if:
(4) He knows that he, individually or as a fiduciary, or his
spouse or minor child residing in his household, has a financial
interest in the subject matter in controversy or in a party to
the proceeding, or any other interest that could be substantially
affected by the outcome of the proceeding;
Clarence Thomas has a conflict of interest in any case involving any organization his wife’s firm represents. However, if is wife is professionally the ambassador to the tea party movement, Clarence Thomas has a conflict of interest in any case where the tea party movement has taken a stand on any of the issues involved. For all intents and purposes, this includes virtually every case that will come before the Supreme Court. The only legal, let alone ethical thing Clarence Thomas can do is resign from the Court.
22 Responses to “Clarence Thomas Must Resign!”
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How do you “forget” to disclose nearly $700,000 of income?
I agree. The man should quit! Hell, he doesn’t do anything on the Court anyway.
The same way Republican activist Rehnquist “didn’t read” the compacts he signed, agreeing not to sell his home and a resort property to non-whites.
Let’s make this as simple as possible:
[1] Virginia Thomas now works as a lobbyist for a Tea Party consulting firm that accepts money from people/organizations/corporations that support those right-wing positions
[2] Some of those folks will eventually have cases before the court – or file amicus briefs in support of those right-wing causes before the court
[3] Some of the money, in the form of a salary to Ginny, will then find its way to the Thomas household
How is that NOT a conflict of interest for Clarence? How can that NOT undermine the appearance of judicial independence?
And to be more pointed, how does it not appear that Clarence’s position on Citizens United was NOT influenced by an aim to put Ginny in a position to profit from it, which would then benefit him financially?
Just because there is now a developing oligarchy of the privileged Rich in our country does NOT mean that reasonable and customary judicial barriers to corruption can be wantonly and flagrantly ignored by a SCOTUS justice simply to make him richer.
Justice Thomas clearly needs to resign. Common sense, common decency, ethics and even the few laws that actually bind SCOTUS justices demands it!
Isn’t it sad when Supreme Court Justices fo not care about the law?
lies- lies and more lies— the ethics– Do they know how to spell it- let alone have any—conflict of interest / shall we say : A Textbook example ?
Pasatter, they work from an ethical place that since they are right by definition, whatever they do is right by definition as well.
Yes, he must recuse himself at minimum, but resignation is more appropriate considering he’d have to recuse on most cases brought before SCOTUS.
Will he? Ha! Fat chance of that. And fat chance that impeachment proceedings be started. I assume that’s like with impeachment of the President, originating from the House of Reps. And who’s in charge of the House?
Egypt is beginning to look like an honest democracy compared to what the right-wing are driving this country to. We don’t have a single dictator, but a dictatorial group of corporate interests and their illegally funded lackeys.
Our democratic republic has transformed into a corporate plutocracy.
Thomas has no ethics, therefore this is not a problem for him. Do you think the other 4 Repub justices are gonna do something about it?
He proved that in the Anita Hill segment of his confirmation hearing.
Nope.
He’s a scoundral but sadly he isn’t the only one on the Supreme Court who needs to go. Not just because I don’t agree with them politically or their decisions but because they are politically active and they ain’t supposed to be.
I can’t stand Alito or Roberts, but to my knowledge, only Scalia and Thomas are actually breaking the law.
Alito has attended several Republican fund raisers.
That’s borderline. Was he a participant, like speaking or leading a workshop?
I often wonder has the people that voted this majority in started feeling buyers remorse yet! Since the new congress has started in January….NO NEW JOBS have been produced by them! Only Mrs. Thomas is reaping benefits of a new small business. Thomas, Scalia, and Roberts are disgusting human beings to sit on the highest court of the US democracy and yet they work for the most elite class! How could there NOT be a outrage for Scalia having a closed door meeting with the Teabaggers! With so many smart people in this country..where is the demand for ethics and call all these clowns out and force them to be accountable for their actions, I mean they do have all our lives in their hands when they sit on this bench and we see how blatant their BAD DECISIONS are, November elections..Citizens United! Where’s the outrage! These 3 judges make the courts look despicable!!
Isn’t the IRS supposed to ENFORCE the income and tax disclosure laws? Hello, IRS? Knock, knock… anybody home? 😉
Actually, they are not. Tax information is protected, in the absence of a court order.
The Thomases are without a doubt one of the most arrogant and disgraceful couples in all of Washington. CLARENCE THOMAS MUST RESIGN! NOW!!!
Amen, your progressive holiness. 😉
I agree Thomas should recuse himself (jerk will never resign), however where was everyone when this freak was being confirmed. People dismissed Anita Hill as a crazy female, but she was on the mark. If they had done something during the confirmation we wouldn’t be in this spot now!
Welcome Hutch! 🙂
She sure was. I felt very angry when Ginni Thomas demanded an apology from her.