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Plenty of people with power and influence would like to get on the good side of a Supreme Court justice, but they can't exactly run up the steps of the court and slip a few bucks into the justice's robes during oral arguments.
So what's the next best thing? Maybe it's slipping cash to the wife or husband of the justice.
That, in effect, is what's going on with Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, Virginia, who heads a conservative nonprofit organization, Liberty Central. Virginia Thomas said in a recently televised interview that Liberty Central will become bigger than the Tea Party as a mouthpiece for right-wing thinkers.
It's fine for Virginia to give voice to her conservative leanings, but the problem is that Liberty Central is accepting large donations, and since the group is a 501 (c) (4), she does not have to tell the public who is donating.
In 2009, she received two $500,000 gifts to the group, and the public doesn't have the right to know who is supplying the cash for the money train that Virgina Thomas is driving?
Is anyone following any rules here?
Legal minds know that you don't need to have a iron-clad example of a misdeed to cause a legal problem. The mere "appearance of a conflict" is all that it takes for most lawmakers to back away from an underhanded scheme.
The fact that the wife of a Supreme Court justice can accept huge donations and not tell who is giving goes way beyond the appearance of a conflict.
Let's be honest. She might be a longtime conservative activist and all, but no one would give Virginia Thomas the time of day, much less half-a-million-dollar donations if she weren't married to one of the most powerful men in the country.
But the sleazy Virginia Thomas deal should come as no surprise to anyone who watches how business gets done in the nation's capitol.
The city of Washington is built on the principal of buying access and influence among lawmakers. That is why K Street and the entire lobbying industry runs our government.
It's a sad truth that both the Democratic and Republican parties have corrupted our political system by surviving on the rivers of cash generated by donors, fundraisers, advertisers and lobbyists.
But even in this ethically and morally polluted political environment, the Clarence and Virginia Thomas money deal smells particularly rotten.
Comments: (23)
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By: Sebastian on 10/11/2010 3:20PM
That ape looking man was destined for no good from the beginning. Look what he did to Anita Hill????
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By: alie on 10/11/2010 3:36PM
He is worse than a Uncle Tom! another one who lied on oath but oh no they didn't want to believe anita hill.
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By: Nellie Austin on 10/12/2010 12:30AM
I think this journalist has a thing against Clarence and Virginia Thomas. I can see absolutely no dishonesty, I repeat, NO DISHONESTY, regarding their relationships to monies of Liberty Central, founded by Clarence's wife, Virginia. And Sebastian you ought to be SHOT for what you said that Supreme Court Justice Thomas did such and such to Anita Hill? Tell me...WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE REAL ANITA HILL??? Anita Hill was a very, very, very, EVIL, EVIL woman and jealous to say the least!!! I read portions of her book--no truths to the accusations she said against the now Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas!!! and others as well!!! Why don't you try reading The Holy Bible and then you will really know the Truth! And, for that matter, be able to discern the Truth!!!. In Christ Jesus, Nellie Austin
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By: Al on 10/12/2010 10:54AM
It absolutely amazes me how liberals with no ability to form a cogent argument to make their case immediately resort to name calling. "Ape looking"?
Pa-leeeeeze...... Where was all of this concern about the source of money when the lord Barack Obama was running for President. This guy had funds coming from every corner of the earth. But I'm sorry, this had to be overlooked because he was our first Black (legitimate Black) presidential candidate. Well now that we have stagnated high unemployment for Blacks, especially for Black youth, maybe we will begin to look at candidates not for color but for substance. Remember for being the worst president in history, George Bush is now only 2 points behind the Savior in recent surveys asking "who would you rather see as President". If this is accurate then your Saviour has to be the second worst Prez in history.
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By: Emily on 10/11/2010 3:21PM
The grape ape and the pink pink you stink linx...
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By: wlsnfra on 10/11/2010 3:38PM
You're absolutely correct. This is conflict of interest in the most overt form if I ever saw it. Evidently she is not as intelligent as she wants to appear. Accusing Pres. Obama of being tyranical? Please!
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By: jamarcus on 10/11/2010 4:21PM
Clarence Thomas should be a role model for all African Americans especially school age kids. Justice Thomas overcame many obstacles such as being poor and black in the deep south and went and got an Ivy League education. If more African Americans learned to pull themselves by their boot straps like Justice Thomas did instead of waiting for the government do it, all of America would be a better place.
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By: Karo on 10/11/2010 4:38PM
Clarence got where he is cheesing like a stepin fetch it idiot. He is no role model for our community. White folks can have him. We have disowned him. He sexually harrassed a black woman that was disgusted and he married margaret thatcher with english teeth. A thief.
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By: Al on 10/12/2010 12:56PM
jamarcus: I recently came to this site hoping to engage with other Blacks in a good debate on issues. With your exception and a few others, all that I see here is a bunch of narrow minded, uninformed, mean spirited kool aid drinkers for liberal dogma. It is so sad that so many Blacks are stuck in this mental state. I think your comments are spot on. Justice Thomas, regardless of his political sway, is a great man and set the type of example that we should want all of our children to model. Maybe some of the kids will end up liberal others maybe conservative. The point and only point is what the Justice did and that was pulling himself up from nothing to his position as a Justice. Just for your information I will recommend a Black blog called Black Quill and Ink. It is a conservative blog but is has good content and comments from writers. I would recommend the site to the haters from this blog but honestly, I think they are lost and nothing will open their eyes. Take care.
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By: Deborah on 10/12/2010 6:52PM
Please explain to me how Justice Thomas "overcame being black??" What does that mean exactly?? We don't need for you to sprout what Justice Thomas did for himself. This was a man who went to college on the affirmative action program but yet denounces AA. Then his mother and sister were both on welfare, but is ashamed of the both of them. Then he out right lied about his harrassment of Anita Hill. He is exactly the type of N^^^^^ that whites like. he is no role model whatsover for the black community. Former Justice Thurgood Marshall was a role model however, for the black community and he will always be a black man whho stood up for the blakc community. he was instrumental in the desegregatin ruling Brown vs. Brown and many, many other pivotal cases. He put his life on the line and will always be remembered for those decisions on the bench.
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