Supreme Court justices unite behind Clarence Thomas amid ethics controversy

By 
 May 2, 2023

The nation's highest judicial body has become increasingly divided in recent years with members splitting along  ideological lines.

Yet in what came off as a shocking display of unity, all of the Supreme Court's justices spoke out last week in defense of Clarence Thomas. 

Democrats considering new ethics rules for Supreme Court justices

Thomas has been the focus of controversy ever since he was accused last month by the left-leaning news outlet ProPublica of going on expensive vacations with wealthy Republican mega donor Harlan Crow.

Roll Call reported that Thomas issued a statement in which he denied wrongdoing and explained that he had "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."

According to Fox News, Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have responded to the allegations by lodging a complaint against Thomas and considering draft legislation on ethics rules for Supreme Court justices.

What's more, Chairman Dick Durbin sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts requesting that he testify on Capitol Hill.

All nine justices sign letter backing Thomas

Yet as Conservative Review reported, Roberts responded with a letter of his own, saying, "I must respectfully decline your invitation."

"Testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by the Chief Justice of the United States is exceedingly rare as one might expect in light of separation of powers concerns and the importance of preserving judicial independence," the chief justice added.

The letter was also signed by all of the Supreme Court's other eight justices, and it shot down the ethics complaint against Thomas.

Thomas isn't just getting support from his fellow justices, as on Monday South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham argued that Democrats are using a double standard.

No left-wing outrage over questionable actions by Justice Ginsburg

He pointed to their lack of outrage in 2019 when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was given a $1 million award that she could donate to organizations of her choosing.

Nor did Democrats voice objections in 1998 when the liberal icon donated a signed copy of one of her decisions for the National Organization for Women to auction off at a fundraiser.

Graham suggested that their reaction would be very different if the Supreme Court's Republican appointees were to begin accepting similar awards from conservative groups or help with political fundraising.

" A free people [claim] their rights, as derived from the laws of nature."
Thomas Jefferson
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