Overview

• Justice Clarence Thomas has been accused of threatening to resign from the Supreme Court in the early 2000s if he did not receive a salary increase, while also advocating for the end of the ban on Supreme Court justices giving paid speeches.
• Following these threats, Thomas' income was supplemented by conservative billionaire benefactors with luxury gifts, raising serious ethical questions.
• ProPublica has published multiple reports detailing the intimate and ethically questionable relationships between Justice Clarence Thomas and several conservative billionaires.
• Legal experts warn that Thomas’ actions raise “significant concerns” regarding the reality or appearance of conflicts of interest and abuse of his official position.
• Despite Congress never lifting the ban on speaking fees or providing a significant pay increase to the justices, Thomas benefited in other ways, receiving gifts from friends and acquaintances, covering living expenses from private school tuition to vehicle batteries and tires.