When Thomas made that argument, in an opinion in 2019, Philippa Levine, a University of Texas history professor, told the Washington Post the justice was “guilty of a gross misuse of historical facts”.
Still, news of Crow’s far-right memorabilia seemed bound to add to Thomas’s embarrassment – perhaps in part because Thomas has written that arguments for abortion rights spring from theories of eugenics, as espoused by Hitler and the Nazis. Republicans hold the House, where impeachment would start. Only one has ever been impeached, in 1804, before being acquitted. Supreme court justices effectively govern themselves. Thomas is the senior conservative on a conservative-dominated court that has issued controversial rulings including Dobbs v Jackson, which last year removed the federal right to abortion.īut impeachment and removal is highly unlikely. Outraged Democrats promised investigations and, in the case of the New York Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, threatened to introduce articles of impeachment. The Washington Post noted Thomas has declared just two since 2004.Ĭrow denied discussing or seeking to influence the court through his friendship with Thomas and his wife, the far-right activist Ginni Thomas.Ĭritics questioned that, given Crow’s seat on the board of the American Enterprise Institute, a rightwing thinktank which Accountable.US, an advocacy group, said “has published and taken credit for multiple amicus briefs filed with the supreme court by the group’s president and scholars”. He added: “I have endeavoured to follow that counsel throughout my tenure and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines.”Ĭritics said Thomas had “ clearly” broken the law regarding the declaration of gifts. In a rare statement, Thomas said he had been advised such “personal hospitality” did not have to be declared under federal rules. ProPublica also described trips on private planes and yachts and stays at lavish resorts. Without that context, you sort of just gasp when you walk into the room.”Ĭrow, the source said, also had paintings “done by George W Bush next to a Norman Rockwell next to one by Hitler”.Ī painting of Thomas and Crow smoking cigars in company including the rightwing activist Leonard Leo was included in an explosive report by ProPublica, detailing Crow’s lavish gifts to Thomas over more than 25 years.
“It would have been helpful to have someone explain the significance of all the items. “I still can’t get over the collection of Nazi memorabilia,” the Washingtonian quoted an anonymous source as saying, regarding a visit to Harlan Crow’s Texas home.
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