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Hi,
First, we learned that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepted luxury trips from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow for two decades without disclosing a dime.1
Now, ProPublica is out with more evidence of Thomas’s flagrant corruption.2
In 2014, Crow paid Thomas and his relatives the inflated above-market rate of $133,363 for three properties in Savannah, Georgia, that, according to Thomas, were worth $45,000 or less.1
Thomas didn’t disclose the real estate deal, though he’s required to by law. And it sure looks like he and his family members made out with a tidy profit.
We’ve mobilized more than 200,000 people to contact Congress demanding that the entire Supreme Court be held to a code of ethics. In the wake of these stunning revelations about Thomas, we need to turn up the heat to demand a criminal investigation.
After ProPublica unveiled the lavish vacations Thomas took paid for by Crow — on superyachts, aboard private jets, and at invitation-only resorts — the justice said he didn’t think he had to disclose the travel because Crow was among his “dearest friends.”3
But Thomas did disclose such trips until 2004, when the Los Angeles Times wrote a huge story on them and other gifts the justice received. After that bad publicity, Thomas didn’t stop taking the trips, he just stopped reporting them.4
Ethics experts say it’s illegal for Thomas to hide these luxury trips as well as real estate deals like the one in Savannah. It violates a law passed in the wake of Watergate called the Ethics in Government Act.4
Like all Supreme Court justices, Clarence Thomas is appointed for life and wields enormous power over everyday Americans’ lives. The public has a right to demand Thomas makes decisions without regard for his own personal gain or that of his billionaire benefactors.
It’s past time for Congress and the Justice Department to investigate Clarence Thomas for criminal and unethical activity. If the evidence warrants it, Thomas should be impeached and removed from office.
With gratitude for all that you do,
Tihi and the team at Demand Progress Action
Sources:
1. ProPublica, "Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire," April 7, 2023.
2. ProPublica, "Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didn’t Disclose the Deal." April 13, 2023.
3. ProPublica, "Clarence Thomas Defends Undisclosed “Family Trips” With GOP Megadonor. Here Are the Facts." April 7, 2023.
4. Los Angeles Times, "Los Angeles Times reported about Justice Thomas’ gifts 20 years ago. After that he stopped disclosing them," April 6, 2023.
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