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☆ 2 prominent conservative judges have quashed an investigation into their former clerk — and friend of Clarence Thomas — for texting 'I hate black people'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementThe federal courts have spiked an investigation into racist text messages sent by a conservative activist-turned-law clerk who got jobs working alongside two federal judges with the full-throated support of Clarence Thomas . She also landed clerkships with two federal judges — Judge Corey Maze, a federal district judge in Alabama, and Judge William Pryor, an influential appellate judge. Last year, a federal judicial panel ordered that an investigation take place into whether Clanton actually sent the texts. After finishing law school, Clanton clerked for Maze, a federal judge in Anniston, Alabama from 2022 to 2023. Judge Debra Livington, the Second Circuit's chief judge, wrote in 2022 that Judges Pryor and Maze simply concluded that the New Yorker's reporting wasn't true.

Persons: Crystal Clanton, Clarence Thomas, —, Charlie Kirk's, Donald Trump's, Clanton, Clarence, Ginni Thomas, Corey Maze, William Pryor, Pryor, Maze, William Hodes, Clarence Thomas's, Mediaite, George Mason University's Antonin Scalia, Thomas, Pryor didn't, Jane Mayer, Judge Pryor, clerkships, Debra Livington, she'd, Charlie Kirk, Gabby Fe, Jack Newsham Organizations: Service, Fox News, New Yorker, Washington Post, Starbucks, George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, Atlanta, Circuit, Appeals, Media, Second Circuit, Judicial, Judicial Conference, Yorker Locations: Alabama, America, Anniston , Alabama, New York

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — Only one American truly had reason to celebrate after the Ryder Cup ended with another home win for Europe. Europe’s win streak at home in golf’s biggest team event will now extend beyond three decades. Cantlay denied the report and one American after another talked about what a great atmosphere there was within the team. “Give us a week after the Tour Championship, or two weeks after, and then go, instead of five,” Spieth said. After hosting the next Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, the Americans’ next chance to win on the road will come in 2027 at Adare Manor in Ireland.

Persons: GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Patrick Cantlay, Europe’s, foursomes —, ½, Marco Simone, “, ” Brooks Koepka, Zach Johnson’s, — Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Sam Burns, Justin Thomas —, Cantlay, Johnson, ” Cantlay, Spieth, ” Johnson, it’s, ”, ” Thomas, LIV, ” Koepka, Max Homa, Homa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg —, ” Scheffler, we’ve, ” Spieth, ’, Doug Ferguson, ___ Organizations: Europe, U.S, golf’s, Ryder, Team Europe, Sky Sports, Koepka, “, PGA, Labor, Bethpage Locations: Italy, Friday’s, British, U.S, Saudi, Adare Manor, Ireland

☆ Patrick Thomas — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Patrick Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Patrick ThomasPatrick Thomas covers agriculture business for The Wall Street Journal. He writes about meatpacking companies, grain traders, pesticide manufacturers, crop seed developers and the way American food is grown. Patrick previously wrote about business education and careers. He joined the Journal in 2018 writing about corporate breaking news. A native of Omaha, Neb., Patrick graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Persons: Patrick Thomas Patrick Thomas, Patrick Organizations: Wall Street, Marquette University Locations: Omaha, Neb

☆ Lauren Thomas — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Lauren Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lauren ThomasLauren Thomas reports on M&A and shareholder activism for The Wall Street Journal. Previously, she covered the retail industry at CNBC. There, she broke news on companies ranging from Peloton to Kohl’s to Lululemon, and frequently appeared on CNBC programming. A native of Spartanburg, S.C., Lauren is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied business journalism and Spanish.

Persons: Lauren Thomas Lauren Thomas, Lauren Organizations: Wall Street, CNBC, University of North, Chapel Hill Locations: Kohl’s, Spartanburg, S.C, University of North Carolina, Chapel

☆ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and House Democrats push Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Clarence Thomas' lavish gifts from billionaires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A group of House Democrats has asked the DOJ to investigate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The letter stated that Thomas should be investigated because of the dozens of gifts he failed to disclose. On Thursday, after ProPublica published its latest report, a chorus of Democrats called on Thomas to resign, according to Politico. In April, Crow and Thomas first faced scrutiny related to the 20 years worth of undisclosed trips Crow is accused of gifting to Thomas, per ProPublica. The outlet later reported that Crow purchased Thomas' mother's house and allowed her to live there without paying rent.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Thomas, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Garland, Harlan Crow, ProPublica, Crow, unearthing, SCOTUS, Jamie Raskin, Hank Johnson, Ted Lieu, Jerry Nadler, Thomas's, gifting, Thomas —, —, Michaela Rose, John Roberts Organizations: House Democrats, DOJ, Service, Supreme, of Justice, GOP, Democrats, Politico, Reps, Dallas Morning News, ProPublica, SCOTUS Locations: Wall, Silicon, Alexandria, Rochelle

☆ Trump's lawyers wanted Clarence Thomas to review their 2020 election lies, saying he was their 'only chance' of stopping Biden's victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump's lawyers wanted Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to help them stop Biden's 2020 election. One Trump lawyer wrote that "our only chance to get a favorable judicial opinion" that "might hold up the Georgia count in Congress, is from Thomas." one Trump lawyer, Kenneth Chesebro, wrote in a December 31, 2020 email to other attorneys working on Trump's behalf to nullify Biden's victory. Thomas is the circuit justice for Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, meaning he oversees emergency requests coming from those states. He was referring to the conservative lawyer John Eastman, who was one of the recipients of the email.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Trump, Thomas, Donald Trump's, —, Joe Biden's, Biden, Kenneth Chesebro, Chesebro, Jan, Thomas —, Eastman, John Eastman, I've, Jack Smith's, Eastman haven't Organizations: Service, Capitol, New York Times, Trump, Georgia Legislature Locations: Georgia, Wall, Silicon, Trump's, Georgia , Alabama, Florida

☆ Conservative Case Emerges to Disqualify Trump for Role on Jan. 6
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Adam Liptak | More About Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two prominent conservative law professors have concluded that Donald J. Trump is ineligible to be president under a provision of the Constitution that bars people who have engaged in an insurrection from holding government office. The professors are active members of the Federalist Society, the conservative legal group, and proponents of originalism, the method of interpretation that seeks to determine the Constitution’s original meaning. “When we started out, neither of us was sure what the answer was,” Professor Baude said. “People were talking about this provision of the Constitution. We thought: ‘We’re constitutional scholars, and this is an important constitutional question.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, — William Baude, Michael Stokes Paulsen, Thomas —, Baude, ‘, what’s, “ Donald Trump, —, ” Organizations: Federalist Society, University of Chicago, University of St, University of Pennsylvania

☆ Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito gives a middle finger to Congress: 'No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court — period.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Madison Hall | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito spoke to The Wall Street Journal about congressional oversight. "No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court," he said. "Congress did not create the Supreme Court," Alito said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court — period." "Dear Justice Alito: You're on the Supreme Court in part because Congress expanded the Court to 9 Justices," Lieu tweeted.

Persons: Samuel Alito, Alito, Ted Lieu, Lieu, Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, David B, Rivkin, Moore, SCOTUS, Harlan Crow, Clarence Thomas, Crow, gifting, Thomas, Thomas —, —, ProPublica, Paul Singer Organizations: Wall Street, Service, Democratic, Twitter, GOP, Dallas Morning News, Democrats Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Harlan Crow's jaunts on his yacht with Justice Clarence Thomas were a 'textbook billionaire tax scam,' Sen. Ron Wyden tells ProPublica
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Justice Clarence Thomas and GOP megadonor Harlan Crow's yacht trips have come under scrutiny again. Per ProPublica, Crow registered his yacht as a charter vessel but only took close friends on trips. As a result, he could pay his own company, report losses, and save on his tax bill, per ProPublica. Some of those were trips aboard Crow's yacht, the Michaela Rose, and were organized through Rochelle Charter, a company registered to charter the yacht. In April, Crow and Thomas first faced scrutiny related to the 20 years worth of undisclosed trips Crow is accused of gifting to Thomas, per ProPublica.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Harlan, Per, Crow, Thomas, Michaela Rose, Ron Wyden, ProPublica, gifting, Thomas —, — Organizations: Service, Privacy, ProPublica, Dallas Morning News, Democrats Locations: Wall, Silicon, Rochelle

☆ The elite Horatio Alger Association, which counts Clarence Thomas among its members, has repeatedly been given unusual access to the Supreme Court's courtroom: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Clarence Thomas' membership in the Horatio Alger Association gives it rare access, per the Times. The elite group welcomed Thomas into the fold after his stormy Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Thomas soon became a member of the Horatio Alger Association himself and cherished his ability to speak with students and mentor scholarship recipients. "They really treated him like a brother, like he mattered and, in return, he opened up the Supreme Court," Williams added. Thomas hosts the induction ceremony in the Supreme Court courtroom, where roughly 10 new individuals are welcomed into the elite organization.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Horatio Alger, Thomas, Anita Hill, Thomas —, District of Columbia Circuit —, Horatio, Ginni, Armstrong Williams, Williams, Tom Selleck, Lou Dobbs, —, Anthony Hutcherson, ProPublica, megadonor Harlan Crow Organizations: Horatio, Times, Service, Commission, Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, Distinguished, The New York Times, Horatio Alger Association, Judicial Conference Locations: Wall, Silicon, Virginia, Washington , DC, United States

☆ Ketanji Brown Jackson accuses Clarence Thomas of having 'an obsession with race consciousness' and relying on 'many more straw men' than can be listed in his affirmative action opinion
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ketanji Brown Jackson said Clarence Thomas's opinion showed "an obsession with race consciousness." In his own 57 page long concurring opinion, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas — a staunch conservative appointed by Republican President George H.W. "Worse still, Justice Jackson uses her broad observations about statistical relationships between race and select measures of health, wealth, and well-being to label all blacks as victims. "Given our history, the origin of persistent race-linked gaps should be no mystery," Jackson wrote. "Justice Thomas ignites too many more straw men to list, or fully extinguish, here," Jackson wrote.

Persons: Ketanji Brown Jackson, Clarence Thomas's, —, Clarence Thomas —, George H.W, Bush —, Joe Biden, Thomas, Jackson Organizations: Service, United States Supreme, Republican, University of North Locations: University of North Carolina

☆ Clarence Thomas isn't happy the Supreme Court went out of its way to shoot down a fringe right-wing elections theory
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Sonam Sheth | John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Supreme Court struck down a fringe right-wing elections theory in a 6-3 ruling. Two lawmakers in the state asked the Supreme Court to take up the case based on the independent state legislature theory. But the balance of power shifted on the North Carolina Supreme Court, which went back and allowed the map. Thomas wrote that with the original case now decided in the lawmakers' favor, the argument before the Supreme Court was "moot." In his dissent, Thomas wrote that the court's purpose is to "resolve not questions and issues but 'Cases' or 'Controversies.'"

Persons: Clarence Thomas, —, Clarence Thomas —, Moore, Harper —, Thomas, Thomas wasn't, Harper Organizations: Service, Republican, Voters, North, North Carolina Supreme Locations: North Carolina

☆ Opinion | Why the Supreme Court Is Blind to Its Own Corruption
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Randall D. Eliason | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The landmark case is the court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. A five-justice majority — including Justice Thomas — struck down decades-old restrictions on independent campaign expenditures by corporations, holding that they violated the companies’ free speech rights. The government’s legitimate interest in fighting corruption, the court held, is limited to direct quid pro quo deals, in which a public official makes a specific commitment to act in exchange for something of value. In dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens accused the majority of adopting a “crabbed view of corruption” that the court itself had rejected in an earlier case. But the decision didn’t come out of nowhere: The court has often been unanimous in its zeal for curtailing criminal corruption laws.

☆ Clarence Thomas, who accepted lavish gifts from a billionaire, argued that a law prohibiting taking bribes is too vague to be fairly enforced
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — who accepted lavish gifts and luxury vacations from a billionaire for years — signed off on a Supreme Court opinion Thursday arguing that a law prohibiting taking bribes is too vague to be fairly enforced. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a concurring opinion — on which Thomas signed off — that a federal anti-bribery law wasn't clear enough. "To this day, no one knows what 'honest-services fraud' encompasses," Gorsuch wrote. Crow described Thomas as a friend and insisted he never sought to influence the conservative Supreme Court justice. Additionally, the Senate Judiciary Committee asked Crow for a list of any gifts he's given to a Supreme Court justice or their family.

☆ Clarence Thomas — who let a GOP megadonor foot bills for him for years — said being a Supreme Court justice 'is not worth doing for what they pay'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In a 2001 speech, Thomas said serving on the Supreme Court wasn't worth it for the money. "The job is not worth doing for what they pay," Thomas said during a speech in 2001, The New York Post reported at the time. The Post reported Thomas cried during the speech and thanked his lawyer who worked on the custody battle. In 2001, the salary for an associate Supreme Court justice was $178,300, while the chief justice made $186,300. A group of 15 Democratic lawmakers now wants to withhold $10 million from Supreme Court funding until the court adopts a code of ethics, The Hill reported.

☆ Clarence Thomas' wife Ginni was paid nearly $100,000 for 'consulting' by a nonprofit that ended up filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A conservative activist helped Ginni Thomas rake in nearly $100,000 for consulting, The Washington Post reported. Conservative lawyer Leonard Leo reportedly ensured Ginni Thomas' name was kept off the paperwork. Leo's nonprofit filed an amicus brief before the Supreme Court that same year. Ginni Thomas has previously courted controversy with her public, pro-Trump activities, and other conservative activism. Neither Ginni Thomas, nor a representative for the Supreme Court immediately responded to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Billionaire Investor Buys Epstein’s Private Islands for $60 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Matthew Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A billionaire investor with ties to the U.S. Virgin Islands paid $60 million to buy Jeffrey Epstein’s island residences off the coast of St. Thomas — closing another chapter in the financial dealings of the disgraced financier who died by suicide in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The investor, Stephen Deckoff, paid roughly 50 percent less than the price Mr. Epstein’s estate listed for the two private islands last year. A portion of the sale proceeds will go toward a $105 million settlement that Mr. Epstein’s estate reached last year with the government of the U.S. territory in the Caribbean. Mr. Deckoff, in a news release, said he planned to build a 25-room resort on the islands. A lawyer for Mr. Epstein’s estate confirmed the sale but declined to comment further.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts poses during a group portrait at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., October 7, 2022. The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday invited Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to testify next month before the panel about ethics reform of the court. Last week, the same news outlet reported that Thomas failed to disclose that Crow had purchased property from Thomas and his relatives, which included a house where Thomas' mother still lives. In his letter Thursday to Roberts, Durbin wrote, "Your last significant discussion of how Supreme Court Justices address ethical issues was presented in your 2011 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary." A Supreme Court spokeswoman did not immediately respond to CNBC when asked if Roberts would accept Durbin's invitation to appear before the committee.

☆ The Supreme Court allowed a transgender girl to continue playing sports, but a Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissent signals their willingness to review the hot-button issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Supreme Court allowed a transgender girl to continue playing on her school's girls track team. Yet two conservative justices — Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — dissented from the decision, suggesting the court may soon wade into the Republican-led culture war over trans athletes. Her lawyers argued that the ban violated the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection, as well as Title IX, the 1972 federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination. West Virginia then turned to the Supreme Court to lift that ruling. "Among other things, enforcement of the law at issue should not be forbidden by the federal courts without any explanation."

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☆ Lawsuit alleges Jeffrey Epstein sent JPMorgan Chase exec photos of young women
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Former Barclays CEO Jes Staley allegedly exchanged sexually suggestive emails with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, some of which included photos of young women, according to newly unsealed passages of a federal lawsuit. He isn’t a defendant in the lawsuit and has not been charged criminally with any activities related to Epstein. The lawsuit alleges JPMorgan Chase “had a more than close-up view of Epstein’s sex-trafficking” and “ignored obvious red flags relating to Epstein’s accounts.”Both JPMorgan Chase and Barclays declined to comment on the newly unsealed passages. I have few so profound.”One month later, Staley allegedly sent another email to Epstein: “I realize the danger in sending this email. JPMorgan Chase did not flag any of the emails between Epstein and Staley in connection with risk reviews, according to the lawsuit: “Moreover, JP Morgan Chase allowed Staley to remain a decision-maker on Epstein’s accounts.

☆ Long Island Republican warns of 'suburban uprising' over New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan to rezone land to allow greater density for affordable housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Long Island Republican warned of a "suburban uprising" over Gov. Bruce Blakeman said that Hochul's plan would trample over the autonomy of local communities. For generations, Long Island was a GOP bastion, filled with fiscally and socially conservative voters from across the political spectrum. Hochul's proposal would push for more multifamily housing developments near Long Island Rail Road stations. Still, her plan remains a tough sell for other Long Island politicians.

The new rules adopted by both GOP-led chambers effectively shield members and their staff from public records requests, making investigations into any potential wrongdoing far more difficult. The exemptions from public records laws and the ability to destroy emails after 90 days apply to both chambers. Because the chambers adopted the changes via rule changes, not legislation, Republicans were able to bypass the need for Democratic Gov. Legislatures having the ability to shield themselves from public records laws is not unheard of. Minnesota, Iowa, Oklahoma and Massachusetts also have laws in place effectively exempting state legislators from public records requests, according to record request nonprofit MuckRock, though it remains exceedingly common for lawmakers in states where such exemptions don't explicitly exist to avoid complying with public records laws.

☆ How Anti-Abortion Activists Bought Access to the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

In exchange for as little as a few thousand dollars in contributions to the nonprofit, these people received easy access to events where Supreme Court justices would be. Supreme Court Historical society trustee Jay Sekulow, center, represented President Trump during the latter's impeachment trial in 2020. Anti-abortion advocates cheer in front of the Supreme Court after the decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores was announced in 2014. Alito did not respond to a request for comment on his involvement in the Supreme Court Historical Society. Supreme Court justices, though, aren't even required to stay within those weak guardrails because no code of ethics governs justices' behavior.

☆ Michael Cohen blasts ruling tossing his lawsuit alleging Trump weaponized the Justice Department to lock him up as he weighs appeal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A judge dismissed Michael Cohen's lawsuit against Donald Trump and the DOJ for locking him up. Cohen, once a fixer and personal lawyer for Trump, as well as an executive at the Trump Organization, has turned into a fiery Trump critic. "President Donald J. Trump will continue to fight for the truth and against innumerable falsehoods being perpetrated by his enemies." Cohen followed up the book in question, "Disloyal," in October with the book "Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the US Department of Justice Against His Critics." Michael Cohen, former personal attorney for U.S. President Donald Trump, exits the Loews Regency hotel and walks toward a taxi cab, July 27, 2018 in New York City.

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