DEBUNKING THE SMEARS AGAINST CLARENCE THOMAS

DEBUNKING THE SMEARS AGAINST CLARENCE THOMAS

Shared By Peter Boykin – American Political Commentator / Citizen Journalist

DEBUNKING THE SMEARS AGAINST CLARENCE THOMAS

Left-wing news outlet ProPublica recently published a hit piece on conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, alleging he improperly accepted lavish gifts from a GOP megadonor, prompting Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) to call for his impeachment.

The report details how Justice Thomas and his wife Ginni have gone on several lavish vacations, including private jet travel, provided by a Republican megadonor named Harlan Crow for the past 20 years.

What the media is trying to gloss over is that Justice Thomas and Ginni have been close personal friends with Crow for over 25 years and the families attend these vacations together.

What the law says: According to the federal Ethics in Government Act, Supreme Court justices are required to report the receipt of gifts worth over $415. However, there is an exception for “personal hospitality” which is how Justice Thomas interpreted these trips.

What Justice Thomas says: He released a statement addressing the controversy:

On his friendship with the Crows: “Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over twenty-five years. As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them.”

On the legality: “Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable.”

What Democrats are saying: Nevertheless, Democrats like AOC have called for his impeachment and for strengthening ethical standards for Supreme Court justices.

AOC told CNN on Sunday that it is “the House’s responsibility to pursue that investigation in the form of impeachment.”

I’m not opposed to tightening the ethics rules for justices. But this isn’t about ethics. This is another attempt by the left to smear the most conservative justice on the Supreme Court, tarnish his legacy, and if they can, have him removed.

[Source: WSJ, CNN, Pro Publica]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-clarence-thomas-defends-luxury-travel-paid-for-by-billionaire-gop-donor-4d3f22b0

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/09/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-clarence-thomas

https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow

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