[ad_1]
(Photograph by Aude Guerrucci-Pool/Getty Pictures)
Clarence Thomas failed to point out as much as this morning’s Supreme Court docket session, depriving the advocates of any questions that he would inevitably not ask anyway. It’s a disgrace, as a result of Thomas missed out on Snyder v. U.S., a case about whether or not or not it’s bribery to funnel funds to an official “in recognition of actions a state or native official has already taken or dedicated to take, with none quid professional quo settlement to take these actions.” Simply looks like a subject Thomas might have thoughts on, that’s all.
According to CNN, the Supreme Court docket didn’t reply to a request for added details about Thomas’s whereabouts.
The obvious excuse can be an sickness. That was the basis of his past absences. Although if the justice has the sniffles, one would anticipate the Court docket to only go forward and say so to be able to tamp down on reckless hypothesis — already seeping onto social media — that Biden goes to finish up making a Supreme Court docket nomination this 12 months.
And whereas it’s attainable that Thomas skipped out on his job because he couldn’t find parking — he does drive an RV financed by a rich health care executive and people are a bear to again right into a slot — let’s go forward and assume that’s not the case. Maybe he needed to do some testifying of his own this morning within the probe into an unnamed decide’s unlawful monetary disclosure omissions that we’re all fairly constructive is him.
Possibly most plausibly, he took a have a look at a case about whether or not or not it ought to be a criminal offense to provide an official cash for previous actions in a world the place ProPublica has tagged the justice with telling GOP lawmakers to make sure the justices get more money or a number of of the dependable ones — like you realize who — would possibly stop after which he abruptly started getting all kinds of gifts that he refused to disclose and thought… yeah I don’t need my title hitched to this case.
Although if he’d recused himself formally the Court docket must disclose that as a result of the Supreme Court docket’s SUPER DUPER NEW ETHICS CODE requires the justices to reveal why they’ve recused themselves. And it’s not like one of many justices would simply ignore that primary commonplace of moral habits.
Then again, possibly Thomas lacks Alito’s brazenness for flouting the newly adopted, totally toothless rule and determined that he didn’t need to have to clarify bailing on a political corruption case that hit slightly near house so he simply took a sick day as a substitute. Has anybody seen Clarence, Ginni, and Harlan Crow zipping round Chicago in a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder at the moment?
Or possibly he simply realized this morning that he’d forgotten to fill out his taxes and began scrambling. Do you depend a megadonor giving your mom free rent as revenue? Asking for a good friend.
Clarence Thomas misses Supreme Court arguments without explanation [CNN]
Earlier: Clarence Thomas Thinks He Was Practically Forced To Take All That Under The Table Money
Clarence Thomas RV Financed By Rich Health Care Executive In Least Shocking Development Ever
Judicial Conference Probes Ethical Breaches Of Unnamed Judge… But It’s Almost Certainly Clarence Thomas
Paragon Of Virtue Clarence Thomas Has Been Given Half Million In Value Off The Record And It Totally Hasn’t Impacted His Judging. Not One Bit. Nope.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Regulation and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Be at liberty to email any suggestions, questions, or feedback. Comply with him on Twitter if you happen to’re enthusiastic about regulation, politics, and a wholesome dose of school sports activities information. Joe additionally serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
[ad_2]
Source link
