Hi james,
Were we living in a just, sane society, Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito would have long ago been removed from the bench and prosecuted for their blatant corruption. Since we instead live in a society strangled at every level by Republican obstructionism and gangsterism, the cogs of justice turn slower. But they do indeed turn, as evidenced by the fact that Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has now formally filed articles of impeachment against both men.
In the case of Thomas, AOC’s articles cite his failure to disclose numerous gifts and luxury trips (which is to say blatant bribes) from prominent wealthy conservatives. The articles also cite his failure to recuse himself from cases related to his deranged insurrectionist wife’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election as well as his failure to recuse himself from cases involving her financial interests.
The articles filed against Alito cite his failure to recuse himself from cases in which he had a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party in cases before the court. This allegation is indisputable. We have photographic evidence of pro-January 6th insurrection flags flying outside of his house and still he insists on overseeing cases involving Donald Trump— the inciter of that very insurrection. If he thinks that the violent MAGA coup was justified, is there really any question as to how he’ll rule on Trump-related cases? These two men have been selling our democracy for parts right out in the open, confident that their power would insulate them from the consequences.
Tell Congress to ban lawmakers from corrupt stock trading:
As ironclad as these impeachment articles might seem given the basic facts of the cases, AOC’s motion is unlikely to pass in the House. For now, the chamber is still controlled by radical Republicans who would sooner saw their own legs off than hold a member of their own party accountable. That said, filing the articles is still a worthwhile act in and of itself because it draws more attention to deeply broken state of the court. The Supreme Court is painfully corrupt and steeped in illegitimacy. Splashy moves like this one help spread awareness of this dire state and hopefully prime the American public for more nontraditional solutions — perhaps even expanding the court at some point.
Additionally, Senate Democrats Sheldon Whitehouse and Ron Wyden have sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking him to appoint a special counsel to investigate Thomas’ ethics violations as well as his false statements and financial disclosure omissions. We know that Thomas received a sweetheart “loan” for an RV that he never paid back and was lavished with gifts including luxury jet travel, yacht trips, home renovations, tuition, and more.
If these are the bribes that Thomas didn’t bother properly hiding, imagine the kinds of things that he’s gone out of his way to obscure. A man as gleefully lawless as this has closet after closet full of skeletons. We need someone to start prying them open.
Whether or not Garland will ultimately heed the call to appoint such a counsel remains to be seen, but there is no compelling argument against it. Thomas is supposed to be a public servant. We have invested him with a tremendous amount of power over our daily lives. We have a right to know if he’s been bought and paid for.
Stay focused, stay energized.
Brian
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