For decades, I've been represented in Congress by Lamar Smith. He's now chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. If anyone in the country could strike a strong blow to restore confidence in the impartial rule of law, he could do it by holding hearings on the complaint to the Missouri Supreme Court seeking the disbarment of Justice Clarence Thomas.
Here's a link to the complaint:
http://www.scribd.com/...
So I sent my congressman (and long time acquaintance) this e-mail:
As chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, you are probably the most important person in the country on the issue of impeaching Federal judges. By holding hearings on charges of judicial misconduct, you can signal Congress, your party, and the nation that those charges could be correct and that they require inquiry. By ignoring charges of misconduct, you may be able to head off any official inquiry.The question has come up regarding Associate Justice Clarence Thomas.
A complaint against Justice Thomas has been filed with the Missouri Supreme Court, seeking to disbar him in that state. A summary of the complaint says:
"SUMMARY OF COMPLAINT
Clarence Thomas breached his legal duty and violated the Rules of Professional Conduct by knowingly and willfully failing for 20 years to state truthfully on required AO 10 Financial Disclosure Forms that his wife Virginia earned non-investment income. Clarence Thomas further labored under a financial conflict of interest by failing to disclose $100,000 in support for his nomination by the Citizens United Foundation when he sat in judgment of a case involving Citizens United. Finally, he made rulings that his wife benefitted from financially and professionally, and by extension, that benefitted him. In short, this unethical and criminal conduct violates the Rules of Professional Conduct, and undermines the rule of law, respect for the law and confidence in the law."The entire complaint may be read here:
http://www.scribd.com/...Frankly, I believe our nation is far down the path toward a two-tier system of justice. Laws that apply to common people just don't seem to apply to the rich and powerful any more. Is that what you want?
If not, investigate Justice Thomas and this complaint against him. If the complaint holds water, he should be removed from the Supreme Court -- by 'retirement' if he can be persuaded to do the right thing, but otherwise by impeachment.
If I get a reply, I'll post it.