Justice Thomas’ Former Law Clerks Rally to His Defense

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, under fire by Democratic lawmakers because of his relationship with Texas billionaire and longtime friend Harlan Crow, has received the backing from more than 100 of his former law clerks.

The clerks signed an open letter, obtained by Fox News, in which they “unequivocally reject attacks” on Thomas’ integrity, character, and ethics. They called Thomas “a man of greatest intellect, of greatest faith, and of greatest patriotism.”

The letter is in response to reports published by ProPublica that revealed Thomas “accepted luxury trips virtually every year” from Crow, a big-time GOP donor. The news outlet also reported one of Crow’s companies purchased a house in Georgia that was owned by Thomas and several family members. And Crow also helped foot the private school tuition bill for one of Thomas’ grandnephews, of whom the justice had legal custody. Thomas disclosed none of what ProPublica reported.

Earlier this month, ProPublica reported Thomas accepted at least 26 international private jet flights, eight helicopter flights, 38 vacations, 12 VIP passes to sporting events, and two resort stays throughout his time on the high court.

Thomas, 75, the oldest justice on the court and one of its most conservative members, has denied wrongdoing, saying he never discussed with his benefactors politics or business before the court.

On Aug. 11, five House Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding the Justice Department investigate Thomas “for consistently failing to report significant gifts he received from Harlan Crow and other billionaires for nearly two decades — in defiance of his duty under federal law.

“The justice is ever the subject of political headlines taking aim at his character, his judicial philosophy, his marriage, even his race,” the clerks wrote. “They attempt to write over his actual story. Lately, the stories have questioned his integrity and his ethics for the friends he keeps. They bury the lede. These friends are not parties before him as a justice of the court. And these stories are malicious, perpetuating the ugly assumption that the justice cannot think for himself. They are part of a larger attack on the court and its legitimacy as an institution. The picture they paint of the court and the man for whom we worked bears no resemblance to reality.”

Among the signees are three federal judges — Allison Rushing of the 4th Circuit, James Ho of the 5th Circuit, and David Stras of the 8th Circuit — and John Eastman, who is a co-defendant along with former President Donald Trump and 17 others indicted by Democratic Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over allegations of trying to subvert Georgia’s 2020 election results.