# Clarence Thomas secretly accepted luxury vacations from GOP donor without disclosing **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 6, 2023, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252 "2023-04-06T14:10:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/463 "2023-08-15T20:42:49Z")
If we (depressingly possible) end up with a majority Republican legislature again, I foresee certain Democrats gleefully stating “You’re fine with this, riiiight?” as they plan turnabout. I’m kidding, the Democrats are generally willing to be the adults in most cases, but it would be appropriate. But no, I think our system is too far gone to actually fix anything, much less the SCOTUS. Because if it were me, and I could get a simple majority in Congress, I’d just cut the SCOTUS funding for everything but security (and only because I was afraid of our liberal members being murdered) to the bare minimums. Which I’ve mentioned before. They have life appointments, they don’t need much money, perks, etc. They can drive and submit an expense report for milage and a small per diem like the rest of us plebs. Yes, I know that will also never happen, but one can dream. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/464 "2023-08-15T21:13:40Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Because if it were me, and I could get a simple majority in Congress, I’d just cut the SCOTUS funding for everything but security (and only because I was afraid of our liberal members being murdered) to the bare minimums. Article III, Section 1 holds that the judges “receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office”. I’d tend to think that would apply to both salary and benefits. So you’d need more than a simply majority in Congress - you’d have to go through the amendment process. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/465 "2023-08-15T21:22:46Z")
One, as I repeatedly mentioned, it’s not like I thought it would happen, but 2 anything that isn’t direct compensation I can cut by that argument - staff, office space (3x3 meter cube is fine) and the like. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/466 "2023-08-15T22:01:15Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I think the notion is you can’t saddle the Supreme Court with rules they must abide by because, then, litigants before the court could pull legal maneuvers to get a justice off a case or political enemies could bring endless complaints against the justices (as we see happening in congress with things like Hunter Biden or how many Benghazi inquires into Hillary Clinton?). This would ruin the independence of the court. Instead, we must rely on the justices being high-minded and comporting themselves properly. So instead we have a situation where someone appearing before the court could hand one of the justices a shopping bag full of cash and there’s nothing anyone could do about it. And that’s to ensure the independence of the court? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/467 "2023-08-15T22:07:04Z")
I merely offered a possible explanation. I am not happy with the current state of affairs either. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/468 "2023-08-15T22:14:14Z")
Oh, I know it wasn’t necessarily your belief that you were putting forward, rather the general justification for how we got to this state of affairs. I was pointing out that by insulating the justices from political influence they are wide open to any other sort of influence. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/469 "2023-08-31T22:39:23Z")
From The Hill today: # Thomas, Alito go on the attack over Supreme Court ethics [https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4181847-thomas-alito-go-on-the-attack-over-supreme-court-ethics/](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4181847-thomas-alito-go-on-the-attack-over-supreme-court-ethics/) for some reason The Hill never generates a link preview ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/470 "2023-09-01T00:07:00Z")
Thomas is giving off strong vibes of “How dare you judge me!” when everyone is just pointing out that, oh wait, anyone else not in the SCOTUS would be out the door with just a TENTH of these “corrections” and “revelations”. He makes me sick. And yes, I am holding myself back because this isn’t the Pit. Feel free to add language, non-serious threats, and other fully justified utter loathing beyond the self-induced filters. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/471 "2023-09-01T00:11:14Z")
You’d think they never heard of the idea that you ought to “avoid the appearance of impropriety.” Boy, I wonder what it would be like to be that arrogant - and to have the power and insulation that allows it. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/472 "2023-09-01T00:44:21Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Boy, I wonder what it would be like to be that arrogant - and to have the power and insulation that allows it. “S-sir, I’m afraid you’ve gone mad with power…” “Of course I have. You ever tried going mad without power? It’s boring. No one listens to you!” ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/473 "2023-09-01T01:01:01Z")
I’ve lost track of whether or not this part is new, but … > **[Clarence Thomas' lawyer says a billionaire bought his mom's house because it...](https://news.yahoo.com/clarence-thomas-lawyer-says-billionaire-210316964.html)** > > As part of the deal, Crow guaranteed Thomas' mother that she could continue to live in the house, and its then-'blighted' neighborhood, in perpetuity. > [@](#): > > “In 2014, Harlan Crow, a longtime friend of Justice and Mrs. Thomas, visited Savannah with Justice Thomas,” the statement from Elliot S. Berke reads. “Mr. Crow witnessed firsthand how the neighborhood was blighted and dangerous with derelicts, drug users, and junkies, notably in the house next to the Justice’s mother and in the other houses on her street.” I’m sorry, but I’m genuinely NOT going to enumerate _all_ the various ways this is horseshit. Instead, I’ll just add this: “Ma? It’s me, Clarence. You still got that Glock I gave you? Hold on tight to it, because you live in the hood. You got it?” and “I just happen to have a very close friend who was thoughtful enough, affluent enough, and generous enough to help me ensure that my mother lives out her latter years in danger and in squalor.” The cynicism of these people. They’re becoming so painfully brazen. They’re just perennially probing the depths of their supporters’ credulity, almost _daring_ them to raise an eyebrow. But no. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/474 "2023-09-01T01:33:54Z")
The Clarence Thomas Pit thread if you want to go wild. > [@The Clarence Thomas led Supreme Court](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-clarence-thomas-led-supreme-court/967189/175): > > Yeah, let’s keep calling it a “Christmas party”, since “year end bonus” is just too obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2023, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/475 "2023-09-02T01:41:35Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > I’ve lost track of whether or not this part is new, but … It’s not, that’s been talked about a long time ago. That was one of the revelations that started the controversy in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2023, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/476 "2023-09-02T02:15:43Z")
Seems he and Alito are taking a page from Spiro Agnew. As soon as the press gets on your case, attack the press. It worked for a long time for Agnew (and, of course, has been replicated by many since). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/477 "2023-09-22T15:17:20Z")
I suppose I should not be surprised there is more. How much evidence does it take before something is done? Wisconsin republicans are seriously looking to impeach a supreme court justice for far less. > **[Clarence Thomas Secretly Participated in Koch Network Donor Events](https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-secretly-attended-koch-brothers-donor-events-scotus)** > > Thomas has attended at least two Koch donor summits, putting him in the extraordinary position of having helped a political network that has brought multiple cases before the Supreme Court. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/478 "2023-09-22T15:58:25Z")
They aren’t going to do anything about it until we raise a big enough fuss and maybe not even then. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/479 "2023-09-22T16:00:11Z")
They’re not going to do anything, period. Because they don’t have to. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/480 "2023-09-22T17:13:33Z")
The Supreme Court is effectively untouchable. The last time an impeachment proceeding was brought against a Justice (and the only time), it was in 1805 against Samuel Chase, and Chase was acquitted. You’re more likely to successfully impeach the POTUS than a member of the SCOTUS. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/481 "2023-09-22T20:44:48Z")
How about a pressure campaign for his retirement? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2023, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252/482 "2023-09-22T20:47:48Z")
He absolutely will not give a shit about that at all. If anything, I think it would only strengthen his “fuck you” attitude to stay put. Check out the 4-part podcast series from “Behind the Bastards.” Thomas is a real piece of work. - [behind the bastards clarence thomas part 1 - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=behind+the+bastards+clarence+thomas+part+1&sca_esv=567693071&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS956US956&sxsrf=AM9HkKlP816-uJvC1KYZ4doKq6m_uPIHLA%3A1695415750864&ei=xv0NZf2vNNenptQPgq6moAM&oq=behind+the+bastards+cl&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiFmJlaGluZCB0aGUgYmFzdGFyZHMgY2wqAggDMgcQIxiKBRgnMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIIEAAYigUYhgNI9S5Q_gtYpRtwAHgBkAEAmAG3AaABtAOqAQMyLjK4AQPIAQD4AQHCAgQQABhHwgIHEC4YigUYQ8ICBxAAGIoFGEPCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICChAAGIAEGBQYhwLiAwQYACBBiAYBkAYI&sclient=gws-wiz-serp) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clarence-thomas-secretly-accepted-luxury-vacations-from-gop-donor-without-disclosing/982252.md?page=25)