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On revient sur l’édito : Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas ‘threatened to resign’ in 2000 because the pay of $173,600 wasn’t enough

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La date de parution est 2023-12-21 11:04:00.

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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas warned a Republican member of Congress in early 2000 that he may resign because his pay of $173,600 wasn’t enough. 

Thomas’ finances have been a subject of scrutiny for years, but especially since April, when ProPublica reported that the conservative justice had accepted luxury vacations from billionaire Harlan Crow nearly every year going back for two decades.

Additional reporting found that Thomas had accepted tuition payments for his grand-nephew from Crow in the 2000s and the billionaire had purchased the justice’s mother’s home and other houses on her block in 2014. 

But in January 2000, as ProPublica reported on Monday, Thomas was hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and complaining about his financial situation. 

The justice flew between Jacksonville, Florida and Washington, D.C. with Florida Rep. Cliff Stearns, after the two had attended an off-the-record conservative summit at a five-star resort on Sea Island, Georgia. 

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (left) and his wife Ginni (right) depart Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's funeral service in Washington on Tuesday. ProPublica reported on Monday that Thomas was pushing to have justices' pay raised and threatened to resign

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (left) and his wife Ginni (right) depart Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s funeral service in Washington on Tuesday. ProPublica reported on Monday that Thomas was pushing to have justices’ pay raised and threatened to resign 

Stearns recalled being pressed by Thomas to raise the justices pay and being told if Congress didn’t act, ‘one of more justices will leave soon,’ maybe in the next year.

ProPublica reported that Stearns walked away from the conversation fearing that Thomas would leave the bench. 

At the time, there was no guarantee that a Republican would be in office to appoint another staunch conservative. 

Democratic President Bill Clinton was in office, while his Vice President Al Gore was running for the White House against Republican Texas Gov. George W. Bush. 

‘His importance as a conservative was paramount,’ Stearns told ProPublica. ‘We wanted to make sure he felt comfortable in his job and he was being paid properly.’

Stearns followed up the conversation with a letter to Thomas – which ProPublica – obtained – assuring the justice he would look into the matter. 

‘I intend to look into a bill to raise the salaries of members of the Supreme Court. As we agreed, it is worth a lot to Americans to have the constitution properly interpreted,’ Stearns said. ‘We must have the proper incentives here, too.’ 

Justice Clarence Thomas, seen in his official portrait in 2022, complained to Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns during a commercial flight in January 2000 about how little Supreme Court justices were paid and pushed the lawmaker to look into it

Justice Clarence Thomas, seen in his official portrait in 2022, complained to Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns during a commercial flight in January 2000 about how little Supreme Court justices were paid and pushed the lawmaker to look into it 

An image of billionaire Harlon Crow's yacht, the Michaela Rose, which Clarence Thomas and his wife Ginni sailed around Indonesia in 2019, weeks after the justice said that the justices' salaries were enough

An image of billionaire Harlon Crow’s yacht, the Michaela Rose, which Clarence Thomas and his wife Ginni sailed around Indonesia in 2019, weeks after the justice said that the justices’ salaries were enough 

At the time, Thomas’ salary was equivalent to more than $300,000 – much higher than that of the average American – but much lower than what he could have brought in at a corporate law firm. 

He was also pushing for justices to be allowed to make paid speeches, ProPublica reported. 

Several sources close to the conservative justice told the news outlet that they never believed Thomas would actually quit the court – and may have exaggerated his salary concerns to bolster his case for a raise. 

But word of Thomas’ discontent spread through the legal community around that time. 

‘It was clear he was unhappy with his financial situation and his salary,’ one friend said. 

At the same time, there’s no evidence that Thomas complained about his financial situation to Crow or other wealthy benefactors leading to the thousands he received in vacations and gifts.  

George Priest, a Yale Law School professor who vacationed with Thomas and Crow, told the news organization that the billionaire’s generosity was not intended to influence the justice but make his life more comfortable.  

‘He views Thomas as a Supreme Court justice as having a limited salary,’ Priest said. ‘So he provides benefits for him.’ 

And by 2019, Thomas publicly had nice things to say about his salary.  

‘Oh goodness, I think it’s plenty,’ Thomas said. ‘My wife and I are doing fine. We don’t live extravagantly, but we are fine.’ 

Several weeks later, Thomas took Crow’s private jet to Indonesia and vacationed on the billionaire’s 162-foot super yacht, which was decked out with a giant inflatable rubber duck.

Bibliographie :

Ces magistrats qui tuent la justice,Le livre .

Le petit livre de la justice,Le livre .

Systèmes juridiques communautaires/L’élaboration du droit primaire,Ouvrage . A emprunter en bibliothèque.