DL Open Thread: Saturday, January 22, 2022

Ginni Thomas: Court Influencer Without The Title.  This article leaves little doubt that the RWNJ wife of Clarence Thomas, and the Supreme Court Justice himself, have consistently violated the purported neutrality of court deliberations.  A must-read:

Last fall, Justice Clarence Thomas, in an address at Notre Dame, accused the media of spreading the false notion that the Justices are merely politicians in robes. Such criticism, he said, “makes it sound as though you are just always going right to your personal preference,” adding, “They think you become like a politician!”

The claim that the Justices’ opinions are politically neutral is becoming increasingly hard to accept, especially from Thomas, whose wife, Virginia (Ginni) Thomas, is a vocal right-wing activist. She has declared that America is in existential danger because of the “deep state” and the “fascist left,” which includes “transsexual fascists.” Thomas, a lawyer who runs a small political-lobbying firm, Liberty Consulting, has become a prominent member of various hard-line groups. Her political activism has caused controversy for years. For the most part, it has been dismissed as the harmless action of an independent spouse. But now the Court appears likely to secure victories for her allies in a number of highly polarizing cases—on abortion, affirmative action, and gun rights.

Thomas has consistently refused to recuse himself from cases in which his wife has played a part:

Stephen Gillers, a law professor at N.Y.U. and a prominent judicial ethicist, told me, “I think Ginni Thomas is behaving horribly, and she’s hurt the Supreme Court and the administration of justice. It’s reprehensible. If you could take a secret poll of the other eight Justices, I have no doubt that they are appalled by Virginia Thomas’s behavior. But what can they do?” Gillers thinks that the Supreme Court should be bound by a code of conduct, just as all lower-court judges in the federal system are. That code requires a judge to recuse himself from hearing any case in which personal entanglements could lead a fair-minded member of the public to question his impartiality. Gillers stressed that “it’s an appearance test,” adding, “It doesn’t require an actual conflict. The reason we use an appearance test is because we say the appearance of justice is as important as the fact of justice itself.”

Anything that Jane Mayer writes is worth reading. Even worth a subscription to the New Yorker.  These excerpts only scratch the surface of a fascinating report.

Two More ‘Horribles’ Arrested.  Chad Stark of Leander TX.  Christina Darling of Brooklyn NY.   And one more, a drunken airline passenger from Florida who refused to comply with mask requirements, causing the plane to turn around and return to Miami.  She wasn’t arrested. Why? Because Florida doesn’t require masks, I’m not making this up.

Blatant Fraud By Trump Organization: 40 Wall Street.  He’s not gonna be able to run out the clock any more:

ProPublica’s story documented how income, expense and occupancy numbers cited in the eventual refinance for 40 Wall Street and another Manhattan building sometimes didn’t match those the company had filed with city tax authorities. A lower valuation for the city would produce a lower tax bill, while a higher valuation for lenders would make it easier to get a new mortgage.

One expert said it appeared like the Trump Organization was keeping “two sets of books.”

“It feels like a set of books for the tax guy and a set for the lender,” said Kevin Riordan, a financing expert and real estate professor at Montclair State University, at the time.

In her filing, James asserts that Trump Organization employees, including Trump’s children, took part in a pattern of deception in which they misled lenders, insurers and the Internal Revenue Service by vastly overstating values for 40 Wall Street and a host of other Trump properties, including golf courses in Scotland, Los Angeles and Westchester and his buildings on Fifth and Park avenues.

Yet More Blatant Fraud By Trump Organization.  I just can’t get enough. Can you?

BTW, He Also Considered Ordering The Military To Seize Voting Machines.  Keep in mind, Clarence Thomas wanted to keep these seditionist documents hidden away.

Seaford’s Secret Santa: We’re, of course, talking about Seaford’s ‘fetal remains’ legislation. Mayor says he has a donor who would pay for any legal fees.  Mayor says it’s OK b/c the donor will merely funnel the money through a PAC while remaining anonymous:

At the time, the mayor would only reveal the name of the donor to council members – and only if they also promised to keep it a secret.

Now, city officials continue to hide the identity of this donor. The city remains steadfast even after Attorney General Kathy Jennings sued Seaford over its ordinance last week, and after a city council member said that knowledge of this donor convinced him to vote “yes” in a 3-2 vote.

Genshaw said he understood that this donor’s agreement – which some city council members have criticized for being just that, a verbal agreement – may have influenced the outcome of the vote.

Genshaw said the individual is going to funnel their money through a foundation or group like Delaware Strong Families, a nonprofit related to the conservative advocacy organization Delaware Family Policy Council.

I’m more bemused than angry.  These goobers stepped in a big pile o’ their own poop, and city residents will likely end up paying the bill.

What do you want to talk about?