Every federal judge in this country is bound by a code of ethics that prevents blatant conflicts of interest. All except the nine justices of the United States Supreme Court. The highest court in the land has the lowest ethical standards, and it comes at a cost to the rule of law and the legitimacy of the Court.
And now, as Daily Kos’ Laura Clawson writes, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is at the center of yet another ethics scandal: “A ProPublica investigation finds that for more than two decades, Thomas has been accepting lavish vacations from real estate billionaire Harlan Crow. And while the Supreme Court is not bound by the code of conduct that requires other federal judges to avoid even the “appearance of impropriety,” it is bound by a law requiring the disclosure of gifts over $415.”
Despite Thomas’ claims, the ethically-challenged justice’s flights on Crow’s private jet, vacations on his 162-foot yacht, and annual stays in his private resort likely violate the disclosure requirements.
This is yet another egregious example of Thomas acting as though he is above the laws he’s sworn to uphold, with little regard to ethics, and as though he is immune from consequences. For Americans to believe in the legitimacy of the highest court in the country, we need impartial jurists who are free from undue political influence. Unethical justices like Thomas undermine public trust and must be held accountable when they abuse their power.