And not on another lavish ultra-rich funded vacation.
Dear John,
If you're a recent watcher of “Last Week Tonight,” you may have seen host John Oliver outline the lavish lifestyle SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas has been enjoying – largely funded by wealthy benefactors.But at the expense of the nation’s trust.
Oliver’s report ended with an offer to Justice Thomas; -- an annual payment of $1 million to resign. A fine offer! But why hasn’t Justice Thomas jumped at it?
The crack team at AFJ has run the numbers and we know why. $1 million simply wouldn’t cover the lifestyle to which Justice Thomas has become accustomed. Using public records and ProPublica’s expert reporting we did the math:
Let’s begin with his current salary of $298,500, which is nearly seven times the median U.S. household income of $44,225.
Justice Thomas received a loan of $267,230 from billionaire Anthony Welters for a fancy RV – or luxury motor coach as Thomas prefers to call it. That loan was later forgiven, essentially gifting the motor coach to Thomas.
Clarence and Ginni Thomas’s annual summer trips out West are arranged and paid for by David Sokol. Those all-expense paid trips are difficult to put a price on, but surely have added up over the last decade.
Destination vacations — at least 38 according to ProPublica. These luxury getaways include a yacht voyage around the Bahamas, 26 private jet flights, 8 helicopter rides and dozens of VIP passes to professional and college sporting events.
One standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast – priceless!
$6,200 a month for his grand-nephew’s boarding school tuition.
You get the point - $1 million is far too little to give up the lap of luxury globe-trotting and powerful perks.
As a steadfast supporter of AFJ’s work, we know you follow our Justice Thomas must Resign campaign – designed to restore integrity to our courts and confidence in the rule of law. We will continue to beat the drum, calling for Justice Thomas to resign and demanding real SCOTUS ethics reform. But we can only do this with your support.
It is time to send Justice Thomas packing – and not on another lavish vacation funded by ultra-wealthy benefactors, some of whom have business before the court.
We appreciate comedian John Oliver’s ability to find humor in an otherwise humorless situation, but we can’t ignore the fact that corruption on the court is a serious threat to our democracy. There is no time to waste. Will you give?
P.S. Do you know others who believe in fairness, equity, and justice? Please share and build the alliance.
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