Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has released a statement in response to a ProPublica report detailing his and his wife's trips with Republican donor Harlan Crow. Congressional Democrats have called for an investigation into the matter, and the Supreme Court has issued new guidelines clarifying the type of gifts justices must disclose publicly. Thomas has said that he accepted the trips as "personal hospitality from close personal friends" and that he will comply with the new guidelines.
Posts tagged as “the Supreme Court”
The Biden administration has proposed a rule that would protect transgender athletes from discrimination in school sports, enshrined as a provision of Title IX. This is a political counterpunch to the wave of Republican-led states that have sought to ban trans athletes from competing in school sports that align with their gender identities. The proposed rule must undergo a lengthy approval process before it can be finalized, and is almost certain to face challenges from opponents.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has called for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas following a report that he had received gifts, including luxury trips, from a billionaire Republican megadonor without disclosing them. The federal judiciary has tightened its rules for what judges and justices need to include in their annual financial disclosure statements, sparking debate about the ethics of Supreme Court justices receiving gifts and the level of transparency and accountability of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has ruled against West Virginia officials in a case involving a law that bans transgender athletes from competing on female sports teams. The law, challenged by 12-year-old transgender girl Becky Pepper-Jackson, cannot be enforced while the case is being litigated. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the court's decision, which is the latest in a series of rulings that have favored transgender rights. The court is expected to issue a ruling in a separate case involving transgender rights later this year.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been taking luxury trips paid for by a Republican megadonor for decades without disclosing them, prompting criticism from Democrats and calls for stricter ethics rules. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has called for Thomas to be impeached, while other Democratic lawmakers have argued that the court should be subject to the same ethics rules as other branches of government.
Idaho has become the first state to pass a law explicitly restricting some out-of-state travel for abortions, making it punishable by two to five years in prison to help a pregnant minor get an abortion. This is seen as a way for red states to limit access to abortion for minors, and is likely to face legal challenges as a violation of the right to privacy and a restriction on the right to travel.
Idaho Governor Brad Little has signed a bill into law making it a felony crime for adults to help minors travel to other states for abortion care without parental consent. The law creates a new crime called "abortion trafficking" with a minimum sentence of two years in state prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The bill has been met with criticism from pro-choice advocates, while proponents argue it is necessary to protect minors from making decisions with long-term consequences.
Wisconsin's Supreme Court has seen a shift in power, with liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz winning a heated race against former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly. This marks the first time since 2008 that the court's liberal bloc has held the majority, and is seen as a major win for the state's progressive movement. Protasiewicz is the first woman of color to serve on the court, and her appointment is expected to have a lasting impact on the court's decisions.