Reuters reports that US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is embroiled in a scandal that could end his career.
Accordingly, a report published by ProPublica, a New York-based nonprofit investigative journalism organization, accused Judge Thomas of repeatedly accepting gifts in the form of lavish vacations from real estate tycoon Harlan Crow, a Republican supporter.
ProPublica revealed that for decades, Mr. Thomas enjoyed vacations in the United States and around the world with Crow’s money. The real estate businessman’s private jet and luxury yacht were also used by the Supreme Court Justice to serve his travel needs.
In the above report, ProPublica commented that the scale of the gifts Mr. Thomas received was "unprecedented in the history of the US Supreme Court".
Justice Thomas and Chief Justice John Roberts have not yet commented on ProPublica's report. As for Crow, the tycoon asserted that he and his wife have been friends with Justice Thomas since 1996 and "never intended to influence Mr. Thomas on legal or political issues."
After ProPublica 's report was published, there was a backlash in American politics. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin spoke out to calm public opinion and affirmed that his Committee would "act" based on the information in the report.
“The Supreme Court of this country cannot accept this decline in moral standards,” said Durbin, a Democrat.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who shared the same view with Senator Durbin, called for Judge Thomas' immediate removal from office. Cortez called the scandal "a shocking corruption that only appears in movies."
Justice Clarence Thomas (Photo: Wikipedia).
Clarence Thomas, 75, became a Supreme Court Justice in 1991 after being nominated by the late President George H.W. Bush. He succeeded the legendary Justice Thurgood Marshall and became the second African-American Justice in the history of the Supreme Court.
Before becoming a Supreme Court Justice, Mr. Thomas held many important positions under Republican Presidents. From 1981-1982, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as Deputy Secretaryof Education . He then served as Chairman of the Commission on Equal Employment Opportunity for Black Americans from 1982-1990. From 1990-1991, he served as a Judge on the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in the Washington, DC area.
During his 32-year judicial career, Justice Thomas was known for his conservative rulings. He was considered by observers to be the "most conservative" justice currently sitting on the US Supreme Court. Many of his decisions were considered favorable to Republican policies.
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