Why is Clarence Thomas and Koch trending on social media
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been making rounds in the news for his involvement with the Koch network. His ethics and abdication of law have now come into suspicion.
Clarence Thomas, a conservative Supreme Court Justice, has been in the limelight lately for his unlawful and unethical actions. ProPublica, a nonprofit journalism organization made an investigation that exposed multiple cases of corruption, abuse of ethics, and abdication of law by the justice himself.
ProPublica published a story on Friday, September 22, 2023, with the headline, “Clarence Thomas Secretly Participated in Koch Network Donor Events."
“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.”
“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,” revealed the article.
The Koch Network is an ultra-right political organization founded by the right-libertarian billionaire duo and brothers Charles and David Koch. Through the years, the network has brought multiple cases before the Supreme Court.
According to the ProPublica report, Clarence was brought to the fundraising events hosted by the network thinking, that access to one of the most right-leaning senior judges would encourage people to continue their donations.
The 75-year-old justice once flew on a private plane to attend a weekend event in Palm Springs, California, in January 2018, which he failed to disclose on his annual financial disclosure form. This appears to be a breach of the federal rule that requires justices to disclose the majority of gifts.
Thomas has also shared undeclared links with the real estate giant Harlan Crow including luxury holidays, a real estate sale that benefitted Calrence's mother and the payment of his great-nephew's school fees as revealed by the non-profit outlet.
Judges' code of conduct advised by the federal judiciary prohibits political activity and participation in fundraising. Therefore Clarence's activities are being determined as unlawful and unethical. However, this does not apply to the judges of the Supreme Court.
