By Abbie VanSickle and Steve Eder
On Oct. 15, 1991, (click here) Clarence Thomas secured his seat on the Supreme Court, a narrow victory after a bruising confirmation fight that left him isolated and disillusioned....
July 25, 2023
By Mike FlorioThis is a political article. (click here)
But while it is about politics, it takes no political point of view. These concepts apply regardless of affiliation or inclination. Red or blue. Republican or Democrat. Conservative or liberal. Tory or Whig.
There are rules that apply to judges. Rules about avoiding impropriety and the appearance of impropriety. Those rules should be honored and respected by every judge, at every level.
The Supreme Court recently has been embroiled in controversy regarding lavish benefits reportedly bestowed on longtime Justice Clarence Thomas. Recently, the New York Times reported that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones once gave Thomas a Super Bowl ring.
On Tuesday, Jones was asked about the kind of gift that typically isn’t handed out by NFL owners — unless guys like Vladimir Putin walk away with one....
...Supreme Court Justices are indeed politicians. They don’t land in those jobs without being politically active and/or politically connected. And, regardless of whether they were engaged in active partisan politics before being confirmed to the bench, they must be unbiased — and they must appear to be unbiased.
That’s where Jones also got it wrong. Asked whether his unique and expensive gift to Thomas created a conflict of interest and/or assisted Jones in any business he might have before the Supreme Court, Jones tried to downplay such obvious complications....
The Supreme Court recently has been embroiled in controversy regarding lavish benefits reportedly bestowed on longtime Justice Clarence Thomas. Recently, the New York Times reported that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones once gave Thomas a Super Bowl ring.
On Tuesday, Jones was asked about the kind of gift that typically isn’t handed out by NFL owners — unless guys like Vladimir Putin walk away with one....
...Supreme Court Justices are indeed politicians. They don’t land in those jobs without being politically active and/or politically connected. And, regardless of whether they were engaged in active partisan politics before being confirmed to the bench, they must be unbiased — and they must appear to be unbiased.
That’s where Jones also got it wrong. Asked whether his unique and expensive gift to Thomas created a conflict of interest and/or assisted Jones in any business he might have before the Supreme Court, Jones tried to downplay such obvious complications....
Jones didn't just get it wrong, so did Thomas. "The Giving" is one act of corruption, but, "The Receiving" is more egregious and highly unethical.
...As a 43-year-old with barely one year of experience on the judiciary under his belt, (click here) Clarence Thomas was quite young and inexperienced when George H. W. Bush nominated him to the Supreme Court in 1991....
Ms. Anita Hill was absolutely correct in addition to his sexual harassment and possibly assault, Clarence Thomas was simply not ready for the Supreme Court.
