Are Justices Thomas and Scalia unfairly plagued by ethical questions?

"The sharp questioning of the impartiality and ethics of Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia and, to a lesser extent, Samuel Alito, represent the most concerted attack on a bloc of justices since the early 1970s, when conservatives waged a long campaign against the liberal justices of the Warren court, most notably Justices William O. Douglas and Abe Fortas."

Kenneth P. Vogel of Politico has more here.

Justice Thomas speaks

"Delivering the keynote speech at an annual symposium for conservative law students, Thomas spoke in vague, but ominous, terms about the direction of the country and urged his listeners to 'redouble your efforts to learn about our country so that you’re in a position to defend it.'”

 

Kenneth P. Vogel of Politico has this report. 

Jessica Levinson has this piece in the Huffington Post about Justice Thomas and the ethical questions he is currently facing.

"Why the Other Members of the SCOTUS Should Follow Justice Clarence Thomas' Lead (Sort of... )"

"Dear Justice Thomas, I'm afraid you might be disproving the saying that 'there is no such thing as bad publicity.' Let's face it, Mr. Justice, there is such a thing, and wow have you been getting a lot of it."


Jessica Levinson has this post in the HuffPost. 

What do Clarence Thomas' problems have to do with the rest of the Supreme Court justices?

"It would be comforting to think that Thomas' shady behavior was an anomaly, but it's actually just the most egregious example of trends that have made Supreme Court justices seem more like hypocritical and partisan politicians than disinterested jurists. If left unchecked, the court will seriously damage its public image.
The problem has two roots: changing social norms and lax ethical rules governing the Supremes. The former is beyond the scope of our government but the latter isn't, and Congress should act."

Bed Adler, writing in Salon, has more here.

"The Thomas Issue"

"Last week, 74 Democrats in Congress cited the threat to the court’s authority when they asked Justice Thomas to recuse himself from an expected review of the health care reform law. This came after an announcement by his wife, Virginia, a lobbyist, who said she will provide 'advocacy and assistance' as 'an ambassador to the Tea Party movement,' which, of course, is dedicated to the overturning of the health care law."

You can find the NYT editorial here.

"SCOTUS needs its poker face"

"This week, advocacy group Common Cause raised questions about an appearance that Justice Clarence Thomas made at a political conference for well-heeled conservatives in Palm Springs, Calif., in 2008. The event was organized by right-wing activists David and Charles Koch, and Thomas’s trip was paid for by the conservative Federalist Society. Thomas, whom The New York Times reports hasn’t spoken a single word during court arguments in five years, appears to have been more verbally generous at that right-wing retreat than he is during his day job."


John Del Cecat, writing for The Hill has more here. 

"Seventy-Four Democrats Want Clarence Thomas to Recuse Himself Over Ginni-Gate"

Slate has one perspective here.

"Common Cause Asks Court About Thomas Speech"

The NYT has more here.

"Discrepancies in reports about an appearance by Justice Clarence Thomas at a political retreat for wealthy conservatives three years ago have prompted new questions to the Supreme Court from a group that advocates changing campaign finance laws."

"Justice Thomas' Wife Turns to Lobbying"

Slate has more here.

"Virginia 'Ginni' Thomas has caused lots of controversy for her husband, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, lately as she has been busy raising her profile. In 2009, she founded a Tea Party group, Liberty Central, and began making public appearances at rallies."

"Justice Thomas’s Wife Sets Up a Conservative Lobbying Shop"

The NYT has this report.

"The wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, who has raised her political profile in the last year through her outspoken conservative activism, is rebranding herself as a lobbyist and self-appointed ambassador to the Tea Party movement.'"