Democratic lawmaker Ocasio-Cortez wants US SC Justice Thomas impeached

Published April 9, 2023
A combination photo of Democratic US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez website/Reuters
A combination photo of Democratic US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez website/Reuters

Democratic US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Sunday she wants Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be impeached and his advisers probed after a media report described luxury trips he has taken over decades, funded by a Republican donor.

“It is the House’s responsibility to pursue that investigation in the form of impeachment,” she told CNN in an interview. However, she acknowledged progress was unlikely since the House of Representatives has a Republican majority that would not want to take action against a conservative justice.

Ocasio-Cortez said the timeline of Thomas’s relationship with Republican donor and real estate magnate Harlan Crow revealed a conflict of interest since it started after Thomas began serving on the Supreme Court in 1991.

ProPublica reported on Thursday that Thomas accepted expensive trips from Crow over decades despite federal law requiring the disclosure of most gifts.

Thomas defended the trips, saying in a statement on Friday that he had been advised he was not required to report that type of “personal hospitality” and has always sought to comply with disclosure guidelines.

He said he would now follow new rules brought in by the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure requirements for the entire federal judiciary.

Crow told ProPublica he had “never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue.”

Opinion

Who bears the cost?

Who bears the cost?

This small window of low inflation should compel a rethink of how the authorities and employers understand the average household’s

Editorial

Internet restrictions
Updated 23 Dec, 2024

Internet restrictions

Notion that Pakistan enjoys unprecedented freedom of expression difficult to reconcile with the reality of restrictions.
Bangladesh reset
23 Dec, 2024

Bangladesh reset

THE vibes were positive during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent meeting with Bangladesh interim leader Dr...
Leaving home
23 Dec, 2024

Leaving home

FROM asylum seekers to economic migrants, the continuing exodus from Pakistan shows mass disillusionment with the...
Military convictions
Updated 22 Dec, 2024

Military convictions

Pakistan’s democracy, still finding its feet, cannot afford such compromises on core democratic values.
Need for talks
22 Dec, 2024

Need for talks

FOR a long time now, the country has been in the grip of relentless political uncertainty, featuring the...
Vulnerable vaccinators
22 Dec, 2024

Vulnerable vaccinators

THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel...