A report from ProPublica indicates that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas urged a congressman in 2000 to raise the salaries of the court’s justices, raising concerns among Republicans that he might resign if this did not happen, according to a report published by ProPublica on Monday, generating further speculation about the flow of gifts Thomas received from his wealthy friends in the subsequent years, which has already sparked ethical controversy in the court.
Key Facts
At that time, Thomas informed Congressman Cliff Stearns (Republican from Florida) during a flight in January 2000 – returning from a conference at a luxury resort – that he wanted Congress to raise the salaries of Supreme Court justices, ProPublica reported, warning that “one or more justices will resign shortly” if this did not occur.
These remarks came at a time when Thomas was living on a court salary of $173,600 and was facing “hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt,” according to ProPublica. Stearns sent a letter to Thomas after the trip announcing that he “intended to look into a bill to raise the salaries of Supreme Court members,” and requested an incentive from a lobbying firm to help push the legislation to allow for a pay increase for the justices.
Lobbyist Chip Tangen conveyed Thomas’s concerns in a meeting of several judicial associations, and the chief administrator of the judiciary, Ralph Mecham, sent a memo to then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist detailing Thomas’s salary increase request and Stearns’s legislative efforts.
Although Congress ultimately took no action to raise judicial salaries beyond the adjustment for inflation, Rehnquist wrote in his annual report for 2000 that “the need to raise judicial salaries” was “the most pressing issue facing the judiciary,” and then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (Republican from Mississippi) told ProPublica that there were “serious concerns at the time that Thomas or other justices might resign.”
Surprising Fact
It seems Thomas’s concerns about his salary faded in the years following his push in 2000 for a salary increase, according to ProPublica, which coincided with him receiving luxurious vacations and other gifts from his wealthy friends. Thomas also received a $1.5 million advance for his book in 2003, and his wife, Ginni Thomas, began earning a six-figure salary through her work at the right-wing Heritage Foundation. “I think it’s enough,” Thomas said about his salary in a lecture at the Historical Supreme Court Society in June 2019. “My wife and I are living well. We’re not living in luxury, but we’re fine.”
The Big Number
$285,400. This is the salary of associate justices on the Supreme Court in 2023. It is less than the court’s salary in 2000 after being adjusted for inflation; the previous salary of $173,600 would be equivalent to about $315,782 today.
Background
ProPublica’s report on Thomas’s salary issues is the latest in a series of reports published by the organization and others that reveal the financial dealings of conservative justice and their relationships with wealthy friends raising ethical concerns. Thomas has faced particular scrutiny due to his friendship with real estate mogul Harlan Crow – who has treated the justice to luxury trips over decades, bought properties from him, and helped pay his younger brother’s school fees – along with other gifts from wealthy friends, including those provided through his membership in the Horatio Alger Association. The justice has defended the gifts, which were not significantly reported in his financial disclosures, as mere generosity from his friends, and Crow denied discussing cases before the court with Thomas or using his gifts as a way to influence justice. ProPublica’s reports have helped raise broader ethical accounts in the court, as Democratic members of Congress are investigating these matters and pushing legislation to impose a binding code of ethics on the court. In November, the justices announced that they were voluntarily imposing an ethical code on themselves in response to these concerns, although experts criticized the measures as largely weak, as there is no enforcement mechanism if justices violate the code.
Reading
Future
An sensitive issue: Thomas’s financial complaints raised concerns about his resignation (ProPublica)
Clarence Thomas: Here are all the ethical scandals involving the Supreme Court justice amid the revelation of unpaid loans (Forbes)
The Supreme Court imposes an ethical code for the first time – here’s what experts believe should happen next (Forbes)
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