Clarence Thomas Says He Got Permission To Be A Corrupt Scumbag

Clarence Thomas has finally responded to the bombshell report from ProPublica last week that revealed how the Supreme Court Justice failed to report millions of dollars worth of trips that were gifted to him by a wealthy Republican donor. Thomas claims that he was told he didn't have to report the gifts because they were really just outings with his friends, a claim that no one seems to believe. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins explains what happened.

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*This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos.

Over the last three or four days, the impeachment calls for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas have increased. Even though Democrats are already admitting, we clearly don't even have a majority in the house. So we can't get impeachment through there. And of course with our 50 50, you know, Senate numbers, we're not gonna be able to impeach him, but he should be impeached. The Democrats tell us, and I 100% agree with that by the way. I, I think every normal, rational person should agree at this point that, not even just for the recent ProPublica story, but for so very many other reasons, Clarence Thomas should definitely be impeached. Now by this point, I am assuming everybody is aware of the scandal involving uh, uh, Clarence Thomas that actually by the way, came out on the same day that another scandal involving his wife came out. So just problems throughout the whole Thomas family at this point.

But of course Clarence Thomas didn't report millions of dollars worth of gifts and travel that he received from wealthy right wing donor Harlan Crow for the last 20 years. Now, Clarence Thomas came out over the weekend and he finally released a statement, actually, I believe is on Friday, good Friday. So a holiday weekend and uh, basically said, listen, I was told by my colleagues that I didn't have to do any, I didn't have to report this stuff. So he is basically trying to tell us that I got permission to not have to disclose what I should have had to disclose. Like are you telling us it's that you got permission to basically break the law? Cuz that's the way I read it. Here's what he said. I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines.

But he says, um, they did not have business before the court, so therefore it was not reportable. Oh, I see. So, because you didn't immediately at the time you received the gifts from Harlan Crow, have a case in front of you from Harlan Crow. You just thought, oh no, it's my friends say I don't have to do this so I don't have to do it. You see, Clarence, here's the thing, bud. Those disclosure laws are not just so we know that who has been giving you fancy things when they have business in front of the court. It's so that you don't go on a million dollar trip with Harlan Crow this year, but then five years later, Mr. Crow comes before your court with a case and then you say, oh, well I don't have to recuse myself. I've reported no gifts from this man. See, Clarence, that's the thing. You cannot see the future. You do not know if Harlan Crow will or will not ever have business in front of your court. And therefore

Every single gift that he gives you, every gift anyone gives you at any time you have to report because they may not have a case in front of you today. But we don't know what's gonna happen a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. That's why they have to be reported so that we can make sure you are recusing yourself when it's absolutely necessary. But you have taken that away from the public. If there was any trust left in the United States Supreme Court, it should be gone.