Republicans are rallying to defend Justice Clarence Thomas against a barrage of ethics allegations, saying they are a poorly veiled attempt to delegitimize the Supreme Court and silence a prominent Black conservative.
But they brushed aside the notion that their goal is to pressure Justice“I haven’t heard that from anybody,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois.should have a code of ethics just like every other branch of government,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii., said while all justices have come under scrutiny for various reasons related to disclosures or recusals, Justice Thomas’ accepted gifts have been more plentiful.
“In terms of the quantity of trips and the costs of the trips and the gifts, yes, it pales in comparison to the other justices,” he said. “It seems like a pattern of omission from Justice Thomas.”said during the committee hearing that Justice Thomas has accepted sponsored travel less than some other justices.
“In 2019 [then-]Justice [Stephen G.] Breyer traveled to New York City to Vancouver to Paris. In 2018, Justice Breyer traveled to Ireland and Spain. In 2016, he traveled to New York, Spain and France. In 2013, he traveled to New York, Sweden, Denmark. In 2012, he traveled to Beijing and to London — all of this paid for by the Pritzker Foundation,” Mr.
All justices must file disclosure forms that are reviewed by the Judicial Conference Committee on Financial Disclosure, and are urged to recuse themselves from certain cases. But there is no higher authority to police the matter. On travel in particular, the chief justice said some trips aren’t disclosed because of security concerns.have faced increased threats over the last year, with one man, Nicholas John Roske, awaiting trial on charges of attempting to assassinate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh.
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