Former law clerks have signed an open letter defending Justice Clarence Thomas’ integrity after reports that a GOP megadonor financed his lavish vacations.
ProPublica claimed in an April story that Thomas travelled on a private jet and a luxury yacht courtesy of Republican megadonor Harlan Crow. The outlet alleged that he failed to report the trips which they claimed has “no known precedent in the modern history of the U.S. Supreme Court.” (RELATED: Clarence Thomas Says ‘Unreported’ Yacht Voyage With Oil Baron Seized On By Liberal Media…Never Actually Happened)
“We are his former law clerks. We’ve had a front-row seat to the Justice at work. Justice Thomas is a man of greatest intellect, of greatest faith, and of greatest patriotism,” the 112 former clerks wrote, Fox reported.
“As his law clerks, we offer this response. Different paths led us to our year with Justice Thomas, and we have followed different paths since. But along the way, we all saw with our own eyes the same thing: His integrity is unimpeachable.”
Over 100 former clerks of Justice Thomas sign open letter defending his integrity, independence https://t.co/i35M72B8a4 #FoxNews
— Mark Paoletta (@MarkPaoletta) August 29, 2023
The signees include three circuit court judges — David Stras of the 8th Circuit, Jim Ho of the 5th Circuit, and Allison Rushing of the 4th Circuit.
“Lately, the stories have questioned his integrity and his ethics for the friends he keeps. They bury the lede. These friends are not parties before him as a Justice of the Court. And these stories are malicious, perpetuating the ugly assumption that the Justice cannot think for himself.”
ProPublica’s stories have also detailed that Crow purchased Thomas’ family’s home and that Crow paid for private school tuition for Thomas’ grandnephew.
ProPublica has many of the same donors as multiple groups actively campaigning for Thomas to be investigated or to resign, tax documents reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation revealed.