By Lafe Tolliver, Esq
Guest Column
Here we go again about Clarence (Uncle Tom) Thomas who is in hot water and rightfully so. Because the latest allegations that he sold his grandma’s house to his GOP billionaire benefactor for a large amount of money.
What makes this new story so appealing is that the GOP money bags Harlan Crow said that he would turn the property (among others next to the house) into a museum. Only problem is, there has not been any action taken for a museum on that lot for the past nine years!
Let’s call it for what it looks like: Good ol’ Clarence found a sweet spot to make some fast cash and, lo and behold, somehow his gregarious billionaire benefactor heard of the scheme and wadded in chest high deep and forked over the bucks for the property.
Only problem is, there has been no reporting of this real estate transaction by Uncle Tom to the proper legal (IRS) and ethics authorities.
As more and more dirt comes out about the machinations of Uncle Tom, it is becoming apparent to many legal scholars and those who specialize in legal ethics that the irregular acts of Uncle Tom and his massa’ have the appearance of rancid evil.
Evil in the sense that whenever the public’s perception that a judge has been compromised by financial transactions that are not transparent and above board, Lady Justice suffers a bruising gut punch.
Clarence Thomas knows better. But for his lame defense he issued a “blah blah” statement that he checked with certain colleagues and others in the know that his prior acts of taking lavish trips on yachts of this donor were deemed “personal hospitality” and thus not subject to reporting.
Hogwash! Clarence Thomas has yet to identify those reliable colleagues and ethical sources that gave him a green light to pocket monetary benefits, among other gifts, and still act as if he was above the fray of mortal man.
Clarence Thomas is exhibiting total disdain for regulatory and ethical standards for a judge and quite frankly, from his persona and statements, he could not give a “tinker’s dam” about it. What makes this farce of Clarence Thomas being beyond reproach is his public statements that he and his Q Anon-driven wife are of the Wal-Mart and RV’ing type of common folk!
Yeah. Sure. Clarence Thomas and his wife Gini spend their vacation days doing RV travelling and maybe parking their vehicle in Wal-Mart parking lots. Where do I go to gag!
Maybe with this new revelation, there will be a serious investigation of these financial dealings done in the dark and Uncle Tom will be severely censured for such brazen conduct thinking he was immune from scrutiny.
Now, remember, these allegations and proofs of same have been going on for decades and Thomas’s white benefactor is nigh mournful that the media is portraying his favorite Tom as less than honorable.
By some estimates, the total value of these gifts and travel and lodge stays and yacht tours are over one million dollars in value. And yet Clarence Thomas would defy reporting obligations of those gifts in the hopes that the pending scandal would blow away.
If asked for an advertisement that would best sum up this fiasco regarding Thomas having both hands and feet in the proverbial cookie jar, the following ad is probably what Thomas responded to:
WANTED: Supreme Court Justice for Sale
Interested GOP billionaire with gobs of money needs to find a secure investment.
Preferably in a United States Supreme Court Jurist with little or no scruples.
Need a lackey (having a Black lackey is even better!) to shadow watch supreme court
cases that I may have an interest in and for that jurist to, “do the right thing” for me.
Compensation are lavish worldwide trips on my private plane and yacht, regular gifts
and knowing that you will be well cared for by my team.
Prefer a Jurist will little or no moral scruples and who is willing to engage in bravado
and outrage and denial if found out.
Money transfers can be discreetly arranged by buying your properties for undisclosed and inflated sums of money.
Looking for a long-term profitable relationship. Minorities are encouraged to reply. My gobs of money is an equal opportunity offender.
When responding to this ad, use the text: donttellasoul.
Well, there you have it. Stay tuned to see what the Chief Justice of the court does and see how Clarence Thomas will couch himself in scarlet robes righteous indignation at the mere thought that he has tarnished the credibility of the high court by his money-grubbing tactics.
Contact Lafe Tolliver at tolliver@juno.com