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submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

ProPublica released a new report on Friday detailing Justice Clarence Thomas’ close relationship with the Koch brothers with previously undisclosed and extraordinarily damning new details.

According to ProPublica, the justice developed a friendship with the Kochs as they were funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into right-wing causes, many of which ended up before the Supreme Court. The brothers then used Thomas to raise money for their sprawling network, inviting him to speak at “donor events” that brought in millions of dollars.

He disclosed none of these activities on his annual disclosure forms, an obvious violation of federal ethics law.

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[-] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 226 points 1 year ago

So before, we could only assume from the preponderance of evidence that Thomas is corrupt as shit. Now we know it for a fact. And still, nothing will change because the Koch brothers own more than some SCOTUS justices. They also own most of congress.

End legalized bribery now.

[-] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 79 points 1 year ago

Let's end the Koch family fortune while we are at it.

[-] xenoclast@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago

Pretty sure you'd have to end the Koch family to do that. I wouldn't stop you.

[-] spider@lemmy.nz 18 points 1 year ago

And still, nothing will change because the Koch brothers own more than some SCOTUS justices. They also own most of congress.

See: George Carlin - The Big Club (NSFW)

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[-] matchphoenix@feddit.uk 153 points 1 year ago

At minimum, it’s time to investigate Clarence Thomas. When the Democrats retake the house (hopefully in 2024 after the Republicans shutdown the government over nothing), they need to begin impeachment hearings in the House. I don’t care if the Senate will never remove him.

[-] wagesj45@kbin.social 64 points 1 year ago

That's right. You don't skip your responsibilities because you think another link down the chain won't fulfill their duties. You do your job and make whoever skips out on their responsibility to put their name to it. Doesn't matter if nothing practical comes of it. Integrity and faith in "the system" demands no less.

[-] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world 125 points 1 year ago

We shouldn't be talking about impeachment at this point. We should be talking about prison. Injustice Thomas needs to go to prison.

[-] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 40 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

First impeachment, then a criminal trial ending in significant prison time.

Edit: scratch that. Caging humans doesn't decrease crime or otherwise benefit society. Give him several years of community service and permanently take away his licence to practice law in any way, shape or form.

[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 21 points 1 year ago

You're right about incarceration. But there needs to be a further penalty. Monetary. Make him pay back all the dirty money. And maybe make him clean up dog shit for the community service.

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[-] Boddhisatva@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

No. Let him keep the license but only so he can serve as a public defender in New Your City as part of a 10 year term of community service working 40 hours per week with one week of vacation per year. Then reduce the sentence for one day for each successfully defended case.

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[-] Illuminostro@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

"But muh Furst Amindmint rites to do wut I want."

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[-] pottedmeat7910@lemmy.world 114 points 1 year ago

He and is going to take every dime they can hustle and sign off on any "Supreme Court decision" that Koch's lawyers hand to him.

And he's not even going to pretend to feel bad about it because there's not a god-danged anyone is going to do to stop it. He's a whore, bought and paid for.

[-] Holyhandgrenade@lemmy.world 77 points 1 year ago

That's a bit offensive to whores. They only sell their bodies, he's selling democracy.

[-] AlwaysNowNeverNotMe@kbin.social 26 points 1 year ago

He's selling the body politic.

[-] imPastaSyndrome@lemm.ee 19 points 1 year ago

Right so he's more of a pimp

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[-] sailingbythelee@lemmy.world 101 points 1 year ago

I love the USA, but I'm surprised at how passive the average American has become. Thomas is actively making your lives worse in exchange for bribes. Where are the mass protests? SCOTUS will do nothing about it, and neither will Congress, if you don't protest.

[-] TwoGems@lemmy.world 58 points 1 year ago

Half our population is insane actually

[-] figaro@lemdro.id 42 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This sounds like a joke but it actually isn't.

About 30% are openly in some kind of weird suicide pact, and the other 20% will vote for the same people as them, just while furrowing their eyebrows sometimes

[-] sturmblast@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago
[-] Pappabosley@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago

This is why the police force in America is equipped like an army, to quickly and violently suppress any protests. Then when you have a prison stay on your record, no more voting, struggling to get a job or even survive.

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[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago

Title 18 section 1507 makes it illegal to protest outside a judges home, and they have indicated they will use the same law to prevent protests outside the court.

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[-] darq@kbin.social 65 points 1 year ago

Of course, none of this actually matters in the slightest unless those ethics violations have consequences.

[-] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 64 points 1 year ago

This POS assaulted Anita Hill and never should've been affirmed.

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Clarence Thomas is clearly not just a threat to the integrity of the court but to the entire United States. If we are going to have a functional democracy, he needs to be removed from office and imprisoned.

[-] Illuminostro@lemmy.world 35 points 1 year ago

Does a wild bear shit in the woods? Of course he worked for the Kochs. Doesn't everyone already know this?

[-] yournamehere@lemm.ee 30 points 1 year ago

murica is winning and winning and winning.

[-] fullstopslash@lemmy.ml 23 points 1 year ago

So does this mean we get a redo on all the laws he influenced? Since like, clearly he was cheating the whole time and has made unjust decisions?

[-] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

Nah it just means he keeps on keeping on with the debauchery until he keels over sometime in the next ten years.

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[-] tryptaminev@feddit.de 19 points 1 year ago
[-] HurlingDurling@lemm.ee 18 points 1 year ago

I feel like every case justice thomas was a part off and had a vote on the winning rule should be thrown out.

[-] just_change_it@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

It literally doesn't matter. The republicans don't care and they've gerrymandered control away from the democrats so it can't change.

Even if democrats had control it would just be more of the same bullshit with some sugar coated feel good nonsense that still funnels wealth to the real owners of the country while appearing to make a difference.

What do you do with the democratic process when the same people control the judges, the legislative branch, and the executive branch? The answer is nothing. You just continue on getting f'd like the cows we all are.

This is not a nation of the people, it's a nation of the owners.

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this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2023
1139 points (99.1% liked)

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