Dear John,

ProPublica just uncovered another ethics scandal involving Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

This time, they found that Republican megadonor Harlan Crow bought property from Justice Thomas for the inflated, above-market price of $133,363.

This revelation comes after previous reports that Crow had paid for Thomas to go on millions of dollars worth of lavish trips at private resorts, on his super-yacht, and on his private jet. Thomas tried to play off these gifts as just two old friends going on vacation together. But it’s now clear that Crow has been stuffing money directly into Thomas’s pockets for years.

Friends, this isn’t just unethical. It’s illegal. Clarence Thomas should resign, and if he won’t, Congress should begin impeachment proceedings immediately.

Inequality Media is getting the truth out, alerting our millions of followers across social media and demanding the immediate resignation — or impeachment — of Clarence Thomas. Will you make a donation to help turn up the pressure?

The ProPublica report shows that Harlan Crow paid a whopping $133,363 for two vacant lots from Justice Thomas and his family, despite the fact that the year before, Crow had bought two comparable lots on the same block for just $40,000. Thomas, who shared ownership in the land with his mother and the family of his late brother, had valued his one-third stake at $15,000 or less.

That seems less like a land deal and more like a payoff.

Under a federal law passed after Watergate called the Ethics in Government Act, Supreme Court justices and other officials are required to disclose real estate transactions over $1,000. The law also requires that justices report gifts of over $415, with the definition of gifts explicitly including reimbursements “to cover travel-related expenses.”

But Thomas never reported any of this, in clear violation of the law.

To put this in context, Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas resigned in 1969 after receiving $20,000 in consultant fees from a foundation started by a financier who had been convicted of insider trading. Even adjusted for inflation, Thomas has taken an order of magnitude more money from Crow than Fortas ever got.

This should be a no-brainer. Thomas was caught red-handed and should resign immediately or otherwise face impeachment. However, despite the overwhelming evidence of corruption, the corporate media is still acting like impeachment is some far-left fringe idea.

That’s where Inequality Media comes in. We’re pushing out videos and social media posts across our millions of followers calling for an enforceable Supreme Court code of ethics while explaining what Thomas did and why it demands his removal.

We can’t let this scandal get swept under the rug. Will you rush a donation to Inequality Media to alert the public and help demand the resignation — or impeachment — of Clarence Thomas?

With deep gratitude and solidarity,

Robert Reich
Inequality Media