Dems want probe of Justice Thomas as health law ruling looms

The Hill ^ | 09/29/11 05:22 PM ET | Julian Pecquet

[BradtotheBone]

Twenty House Democrats are demanding a judicial ethics investigation into Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas just as the high court is poised to issue a ruling on the healthcare law that could make or break President Obama’s reelection.

The lawmakers on Thursday asked the U.S. Judicial Conference to formally request that the Department of Justice look into Thomas’s failure to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars his wife has received from groups that want the healthcare law repealed. Their letter comes after 75 House Democrats in February asked Thomas to recuse himself from the case following reports that he’d failed to report his wife Virginia’s income since he joined the bench in 1991.

“Due to the simplicity of the disclosure requirements, along with Justice Thomas’s high level of legal training and experience, it is reasonable to infer that his failure to disclose his wife’s income for two decades was willful, and the Judicial Conference has a non-discretionary duty to refer this case to the Department of Justice,” the Democrats wrote in the letter, which was spearheaded by Rep. Louise Slaughter (N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee.

The letter comes just a day after the Obama administration and 26 states challenging the Democrats’ healthcare reform law asked the Supreme Court to take up the case, all but assuring that the high court will render a decision by next summer.

Many legal experts believe the court will end up with a split 5-4 ruling on the law — with Justice Anthony Kennedy filling his customary swing-vote role — so pressure on justices to recuse themselves is only expected to increase.

[muawiyah]

Kagan doesn’t report her wife’s income either!

[newzjunkey]

“Due to the simplicity of the disclosure requirements, along with Justice Thomas’s high level of legal training and experience, it is reasonable to infer that his failure to disclose his wife’s income for two decades was willful..."

Why was the committee, in Democrat majority hands, not concerned from '91-'95 or '07-'11?

Why now?

[newzjunkey]

Obama/Democrats trying to pull an FDR? Trying to stack the Supreme Court in his favor....

Of course he is. He's every bit the bully of FDR. Hopefully America won't reelect him but I'm not confident it won't.

[Raycpa]

I can understand the sniping because constitutionally, congress cannot stop Thomas using this complaint so its all for show and probably donations. Congress would either need to impeach him which isn’t going to happen or restrict the SC from ruling on this case, which is less likely than impeachment.

So, the whole thing is merely for show.

My initial reaction was that there is likely some rational reason for omitting the information other than a desire to hide the information or negligence.

I would assume he has top people helping him on his finances including this form so that it was exclude intentionally. I further assume that Thomas or his wife at this point does not care much what folks think of him and would not be shy about disclosing her income sources. Further, his wife was working receiving money from a Non-profit whose finances are required to be largely transparent and amounts like she was supposedly receiving end up as public record.

My guess is there was something in the law that did not require her reporting it or what is being reported as income paid to her by the non-profit included travel, conferences, and other reimbursable expenses and may not have been considered compensation by her or even the IRS.

[Gator113]

I believe that Justice Clarence Thomas will stand his ground and not yield to these a$$hat democrats.

[livius]

I believe (IIRC) that Thomas has already adddressed this issue and it was not reportable income. Plus it was no secret that his wife was working on this, so he wasn’t trying to hide anything.

In any case, I think the best defense is a good offense, and we should go after Kagan. She should be recused immediately. There is no way she could be fair.

[Humal]

::The lawmakers on Thursday asked the Inspector General’s Office to formally request an inquiry of the Department of Justice regarding failure to disclose hundreds of thousands of illegal purchased weapons that were allowed to move to Mexico.::

Too easy.

“Federal Reserve Audit Exposes Major Securities Fraud and the Embezzlement of $16 TRILLION” http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2786068/posts

Link to GAO audit: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-696

[CORedneck]

They are a pack of thieves, vicious dogs not to insult dogs and are similar to “b*tch brigades” ! Funny in my adult years, whenever I dealt with liberal dem’s especailly those in authority,

> It can never be good when a mob of Dems wants to probe you.

[AlanGreenSpam]

Makes sense (at least strategically for the cowards)

[MinuteGal]

Thanks for your analysis of the pertinent law.

I tend to agree with you that Justice Thomas has all his bases covered and the rabid Dems will strike out on this one.

Leni