This person, masquerading as a judge, serves as a clear illustration of a tainted justice system.
Well, he’s not doing something illegal… unethical, yes. This is corruption plain and simple.
It’s illegal for anyone subject to laws. An apellate judge would be in prison for each and every one of these bribes, no option to resign.
And Thomas is not subject to laws. That’s the explanation.
He admitted wrongdoing when he feigned ignorance that he was supposed to disclose his lavish gifts for the last few decades.
This is just more info coming out about what he always hid from the American people regarding the huge under-the-table gifts he’s been receiving from billionaires all these years.
It was honestly incredibly stupid of the American founders to assume making these guys practically untouchable would make them above corruption rather than the perfect targets for it. Childishly naive.
deleted by creator
The founders envisioned a weak government that could be torn down and rebuilt by the people as needed. Perhaps we have been neglecting our duty.
That to secure these rights, Governments are ilnstituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness… it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
–Thomas Jefferson
Removed by mod
I’ve yet to hear of a explicit law that is being broken with respect to SCOTUS. Obviously in our legal system we have rules and laws that stop people from doing the stuff he is doing but because its the legal system every case is a special case. DoJ will jump the moment a very specific law is broken but honestly I don’t know what it would be as of the moment other than being obviously in the pocket of wealthy people and being a scumbag.
This isn’t about breaking laws, it’s about breaching ethical standards. Federal judges all agree to a code of ethics as a condition of being on the bench. SCOTUS justices weirdly do NOT agree to a code of ethics. The controversy is that we are learning about a ton of stuff that is plainly unethical under the standards federal judges agree to, but SCOTUS is technically untouchable. Democrats are advancing legislation to force them to agree to ethical standards, but SCOTUS is arguing that Congress doesn’t have the power to force them. They are also unwilling to voluntarily agree to a standard of ethics for obvious reasons.
Their code is useless unless it can be enforced by one of the other branches. Judges all agreeing to not be shit while crossing their fingers behind their back does us no good.
It doesn’t matter if they agree with it or not, it is the duty of our elected officials to remove them when they accept bribes or engaging bad behavior:
Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United States of America lays it out, allowing for the removal of "the President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States […] on Impeachment for and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Article III, Section 1 gives us a little more insight:
“The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.”
The problem is that our elected officials are engaged in the same bribery as the SCOTUS, therefore they are ignoring their duty to remove judges accepting bribery. If the entire system is ignoring ethics and the needs of the people, then the entire system must be rebuilt. Thomas Jefferson and other forefathers considered it the duty of the people to rebuild the government as needed. I don’t think they envisioned the behemoth the government would become, and the radical divide between the people and their government.
Removed by mod
Except we dont want to live in a world where the government can just bully you with no law. I am sure there is something specific, just haven’t heard the DoJ actually state what it is. Until then they do fucking with citizens, as sleezy as they may be, leads to a shitty government.
I’ve been watching Fall of Civilizations and it is incredible how often civilizations rot, decay, and then wither away into nothing due to corruption. Humans never learn the freaking lesson. Carthage lasted ~800 years—the USA is definitely not going to last that long.
Eastern Rome was an absolute shitfest after they lost Egypt. Manzikert was a disaster because the nobility was to concerned about the aftermath. There’s so many parallels with the United States.
You’re not even allowed to receive any of this stuff as a basic account executive at most companies, and in radio & TV it is explicitly forbidden by law. How the fuck is it legal for a Supreme Court Justice?
Why isn’t this guy on the ground in the street?
America don’t stand for shit.
If only all those school shooters you have redirected their energy into these dudes
Who wrote this headline?! My god, use commas ffs
Good reporting, ProPublica
Link to the actual ProPublica report, instead of a CNN story talking about the report.
“We don’t need a code of ethics.”
he’s been bought and paid for… just like a slave…
It’s no accident that one of his scandals involves a person living in an abode owned by somebody else.
like a rich white fella moved Clarence into his house, so he could sorta keep him close…
