In 1969 Abe Fortas Became the First Justice Forced to Resign. Should Clarence Thomas Be Next?
As pressure grows on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to resign over his decades-long relationship with a billionaire benefactor, we speak with legal journalist Adam Cohen, who says there is a precedent that should guide lawmakers in how to address the growing scandal. In 1969, Justice Abe Fortas was forced to resign after his financial relationship came to light with businessman Louis Wolfson, who paid Fortas to consult for his foundation. Fortas was a Democratic appointee, but the scandal led to a bipartisan call for his resignation — even though his replacement would be named by Republican President Richard Nixon and shift the balance of the court. Cohen writes in a guest essay for The New York Times that the strong, bipartisan outrage against Fortas “is both a blueprint for how lawmakers could respond today and a benchmark of how far we have fallen.”
The Justice & the Billionaire: Clarence Thomas Failed to Disclose Real Estate Deal with <span class="caps">GOP</span> Megadonor
Calls continue to grow for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to step down or to be impeached, after ProPublica uncovered more damning information about his relationship with Republican megadonor Harlan Crow. According to the new report, Thomas and his family sold a house and two vacant lots in Savannah, Georgia, to Crow for around $130,000 but never disclosed the sale, which appears to be a violation of the 1978 Ethics in Government Act. In addition to being a major benefactor to Thomas and the GOP, Crow is also an avid collector of Nazi memorabilia, including a copy of Mein Kampf signed by Hitler, paintings by Hitler, Nazi medallions, swastika-embossed linens, and a garden filled with statues of 20th century dictators. We speak to Justin Elliott, a reporter for ProPublica who helped break the story.
Should Clarence Thomas Be Impeached? <span class="caps">GOP</span> Megadonor Gave Justice Free Luxury Vacations for 20 Years
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas failed to report frequent luxury trips paid for by a billionaire Republican megadonor named Harlan Crow, leading to renewed calls for the conservative jurist’s impeachment. According to ProPublica, Thomas has for decades accepted flights on Crow’s private jet, trips on his yacht and frequent stays at his exclusive lakeside resort, in apparent violation of a law requiring justices and other federal officials to disclose most gifts. “Justice Thomas has this extraordinary and apparently unprecedented relationship with this outside billionaire who is basically subsidizing his life,” says ProPublica reporter Justin Elliott. Thomas has previously come under scrutiny for conflicts of interest after he refused to recuse himself from cases about Republican efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, even as his wife, Ginni, was pressuring officials to ensure Donald Trump’s victory.
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