Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, Politico published an investigation that alleged how in 2010, Justice Clarence Thomas’ wife, Ginni Thomas; billionaire Harlan Crow; and conservative activist Leonard Leo, leveraged the not-yet-issued Citizens United decision to create a dark money group that would remake the judiciary and work to overturn long-standing legal precedents on affirmative action and abortion. This article comes after a series of revelations over the past year have detailed Thomas’ alleged corruption. In response, Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Yesterday’s Politico investigation into Justice Thomas alleged a shocking level of corruption. It stretches credulity to think that Justice Thomas was not conspiring with his wife and billionaire and activist friends to orchestrate a large-scale, multiyear conservative power grab. Thomas should resign immediately.
But if the past year has taught us anything, it is that we can’t count on the justices to have an individual sense of decency or trust the court’s ability to govern itself. The Senate Judiciary Committee should launch a probe of improper behavior by Thomas. But ultimately, the only way to restore balance to our democracy and integrity to the Supreme Court is for Congress to pass commonsense reforms such as term limits and a binding code of ethics that enjoy broad support from Americans and experts alike.
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Julia Cusick at [email protected].