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Related: About this forumAbe Fortas Was First Supreme Court Justice Forced to Resign in 1969. Should Clarence Thomas Be Next?
As pressure grows on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to resign over his decades-long relationship with a billionaire benefactor, we speak with legal journalist Adam Cohen, who says there is a precedent that should guide lawmakers in how to address the growing scandal. In 1969, Justice Abe Fortas was forced to resign after his financial relationship came to light with businessman Louis Wolfson, who paid Fortas to consult for his foundation. Fortas was a Democratic appointee, but the scandal led to a bipartisan call for his resignation even though his replacement would be named by Republican President Richard Nixon and shift the balance of the court. Cohen writes in a guest essay for The New York Times that the strong, bipartisan outrage against Fortas "is both a blueprint for how lawmakers could respond today and a benchmark of how far we have fallen."
Or be forced out. I know it's not going to happen. And why in the hell doesn't the Supreme Court have a Code of Ethics? They're
no better than anyone else. Even though I'm sure they think they are.
world wide wally
(21,762 posts)Walleye
(31,215 posts)Republicans do things they should be ashamed of and then brag about it
cloudbase
(5,533 posts)had a little talk with Fortas. I doubt Roberts will do the same with Slappy.
True Blue American
(18,004 posts)Roberts may be forced to. Of course there is a big question about his wife and making money off the court, too!
NoRethugFriends
(2,379 posts)republianmushroom
(14,038 posts)to resign.
dutch777
(3,072 posts)republianmushroom
(14,038 posts)Wibly
(613 posts)The longer Thomas remains on the court, the greater the challenge to the Court's integrity will become.
The longer the bad apple remains in the basket, the more likely it is to cause the other apples in the basket to rot.
Someone need to explain this simple reality to the Chief Justice.
progressoid
(50,053 posts)xocetaceans
(3,876 posts)...should be "Clearance" as in "For Sale to the Highest Bidder! Here, there's no such thing as an ethical impingement, if the price is right!"
It's "Clearance" Thomas, no doubt.
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