Reports that Texas billionaire Harlan Crow paid boarding school tuition for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ great-nephew are the straws that broke the camel’s back for me. It’s time for the Supreme Court of the United States to impose ethical accountability standards—yesterday.
Even if Justice Thomas’ decisions have never been directly influenced by his friend’s generosity, Supreme Court justices should be expected to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. And there can be no denying that the optics of this situation are…bad.
Keep in mind that this latest revelation comes on the heels of reports that Thomas enjoyed lavish vacations on Crow’s dime and that Crow purchased the home of Thomas’ mother (and allows her to live there rent-free).
