There’s quite a bit of fulmination about Justice Thomas’s “luxury vacations” today, spurred, I guess, by this piece by Brett Murphy and Alex Mierjeski at ProPublica:
During his three decades on the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas has enjoyed steady access to a lifestyle most Americans can only imagine. A cadre of industry titans and ultrawealthy executives have treated him to far-flung vacations aboard their yachts, ushered him into the premium suites at sporting events and sent their private jets to fetch him — including, on more than one occasion, an entire 737. It’s a stream of luxury that is both more extensive and from a wider circle than has been previously understood.
I agree that’s outrageous. I just want to point out two things.
- That doesn’t prove that the other justices aren’t getting the same or similar treatment. Indeed, the article observes:
Stephen Breyer accepted a flight to a Nantucket wedding from a Democratic megadonor. Ruth Bader Ginsburg took a tour of Israel and Jordan paid for by an Israeli billionaire. Those gifts are public because Breyer and Ginsburg disclosed them.
- As I’ve said before I think there should be a 100% tax on all such gifts for all public officials extending during their entire terms of office and possibly longer, say, for as much as five years.
What is does prove is that the folks at ProPublica are especially interested in Justice Thomas’s behavior. That might be explained because among sitting SCOTUS justices Justice Thomas is the most likely to rule in a way considered ideological. He’s not the only one. That roster includes Justice Alito, and Justice Sotomayor. Justice Jackson doesn’t have a track record yet but that she will join their ranks is a reasonable assumption based on performance to date.
Journalism ain’t what it used to be. Once upon a time not that very long ago, a scoop was a scoop wherever the chips might fall. It’s not that way anymore.
My interpretation is that once the first info leaked and people started looking they just kept finding more stuff*. It certainly didnt help that he tried to deny and underplay everything, almost daring people to find more dirt. It’s also possible that he was uniquely bad. Note that your attempt at equivalence shows that other justices did actually, at least sometimes, report their gifts. Thomas accepted a huge amount of gifts AND did not report them.
* After the first Thomas report there were other reported incidents with other judges. It would appear that those did not lead to even more findings as was the case with Thomas. I would also note that the right wing has shown no hesitancy to investigate politicians on the left. If the other judges were engaging in such obviously bad behaviors hard to believe we wouldn’t be hearing about it, but if Congress or DOJ wants to investigate them all they should have at it.
Steve
Forgot. You think judges should pay tax on this stuff. What about recusals? What about disciplinary action? Fortas resigned because he accepted, and gave back, $160,000 in today’s money to give advice to someone, not directly related to any case. Thomas has accepted much more money and ruled on cases involving people who paid him.
Steve
Yes. Changing the incentives is critical.
Dave Schuler: That doesn’t prove that the other justices aren’t getting the same or similar treatment.
Without accountability, there will inevitably be abuses. Huge amounts of money have been directed into right-wing attempts to influence the courts.
Dave Schuler: What is does prove is that the folks at ProPublica are especially interested in Justice Thomas’s behavior.
As you already pointed out, Ginsburg and Breyer reported the gifts when no one was looking all that hard. Thomas did not. Also, Thomas apparently took far more in gifts. Gee whiz, a billionaire with an ideological interest in the court bought his mother’s house, renovated it, and let her continue to live there. Another billionaire financed a luxury RV that Thomas spent decades loving to say he had to scrimp and save to afford.
Justice Thomas is an African American, he shouldn’t have the same perks as your average Chicago politician?