Staff Reports
Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are keeping quiet after a report alleged that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepted an astonishing number of luxury vacations and extravagant gifts. Democrats on the committee are once again calling for the implementation of an ethics code for the Supreme Court, either through Chief Justice John Roberts or with the passage of an act of Congress. According to the report from ProPublica, Justice Thomas allegedly accepted at least 38 vacations, 26 international private jet flights, 12 VIP passes to sporting events, and two resort stays during his tenure on the court. The report also revealed his connections to several billionaire donors.
Ethics experts interviewed for the report believe that the failure to disclose these perks could potentially be a legal violation. Justice Thomas has yet to make any comments regarding the allegations. The Washington Examiner reached out to each member of the Judiciary Committee for comment, but every Republican declined to respond. Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democrat Dick Durbin, stated that these revelations from ProPublica show that these are not simply ethical lapses, but rather a “shameless lifestyle underwritten for years by a gaggle of fawning billionaires.” Durbin called on Chief Justice Roberts and the other Justices to take action on ethics reform to preserve their own reputations and the integrity of the Court. He has already pushed Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act through the committee on a party-line vote. Whitehouse is also calling on the full Senate to pass his bill, insisting that the honor system no longer works well enough for the American people to trust in the justices’ ethics.
Senate GOP silent on latest Clarence Thomas claims while Democrats urge Supreme Court reforms https://t.co/afH9tzhet5
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) August 11, 2023
Democrats have been pushing for greater accountability and a code of ethics for the Supreme Court, while Republicans have been more reluctant to support these measures. In light of the recent allegations against Justice Thomas, some Senate Republicans have supported the idea of an ethics code initiated by Chief Justice Roberts. However, they are generally opposed to Congress establishing those rules. Amidst the Democratic criticism, one conservative, Cassie Severino, defended Justice Thomas and accused ProPublica of targeting conservative justices. Severino emphasized that if similar scrutiny were applied to liberal justices, violations would likely be found as well. She also praised Justice Thomas for his resilience and refusal to be intimidated by attacks from the Left.
