Supreme Court Controversies
In the last few years, American approval of the Supreme Court has plummeted to new record lows as many have disagreed with some court rulings.
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However, American disapproval of the court may have been driven the most by the countless controversies various justices have found themselves in.
Clarence Thomas’ Expensive Gifts
Perhaps most notably, Justice Thomas has been under increasing fire, as reports have confirmed that he accepted various gifts, lodgings, and travels from Republican megadonor and billionaire Harlan Crow.
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Thomas had been accepting these gifts from Crow for decades. Thomas didn’t report the acceptance of these gifts, which has caused public outrage and questions of his impartiality.
Thomas’ Conflicts of Interest
Because of these various gifts given to Thomas by Crow, many critics have grown concerned that Thomas may not be impartial in his rulings.
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Thomas’ wife, Ginni Thomas, and her actions during and after the 2020 election, as well as during the Jan 6 capitol riot, have further caused controversy and questions of whether or not Thomas can truly be impartial.
Calls for Reforms Grow
For the last few years, many have called for the Supreme Court to be reformed, as these scandals have made many Americans lose faith in the high court.
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Recently, the idea of reforms hit a new high, as President Joe Biden has proposed various changes to the court, including enacting an enforceable ethics code.
Ginni Thomas Thanks Religious Organization
New reporting has confirmed that Ginni Thomas has publicly thanked First Liberty Institute, a religious liberties group, for its efforts to stop Supreme Court reforms.
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During a donor call in July, the group’s head Kelly Shackelford read from an email that he said Thomas’ wife had written to him that very day.
Thomas’ Appreciation
According to this email, Ginni Thomas expressed deep appreciation that the group was fighting to block any reforms on the Supreme Court.
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She wrote, “I cannot adequately express enough appreciation for you guys pulling into reacting to the Biden effort on the Supreme Court. Many were so depressed by the lack of response by R[epublican]s and conservatives.”
Helping the Judges
Then, Ginni Thomas wrote that their efforts were going a long way in uplifting many judges.
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In all caps, she wrote, “YOU GUYS HAVE FILLED THE SAILS OF MANY JUDGES. CAN I JUST TELL YOU, THANK YOU SO, SO, SO MUCH.”
A Response to Biden?
This call with donors of the organization was held only two days after Biden had publicly called for the Supreme Court to face sweeping reforms.
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Biden wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post explaining his view on why the court needed to have major changes, particularly because of the many controversies revolving around justices.
Losing Public Confidence
According to Biden, these Supreme Court scandals have led to many Americans losing confidence in the court and its power.
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Only reforms would right this. Biden also pointed to the “scandals involving several justices”, including “undisclosed gifts to justices” and “conflicts of interest connected with Jan 6 insurrectionists.” Thomas has been accused of both of these issues.
Ginni Thomas Supports Husband
Clearly, from this email sent to First Liberty Institute, Ginni Thomas isn’t stepping away from supporting her husband — even though her actions may only cause more controversy for the court.
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Ginni Thomas herself has put her husband in controversies around cases dealing with the January 6 Capitol riot.
Overturning the Election
According to an investigation conducted by a U.S. House committee, Ginni Thomas made concerted efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in favor of Trump.
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Her actions have since put Thomas in the limelight, as people have asked him to recuse himself from cases involving January 6. Thomas has refused to do so.
