'Optics' of Ginni and Clarence Thomas’ dealings 'enough' for Congress to act: legal expert

From reports of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas receiving luxurious undisclosed gifts from billionaire Harlan Crow, to his wife, Ginni Thomas, teaming up with conservative activist Leonard Leo to launch a nonprofit "that would take advantage of the new rules on political spending put forth by the Citizens United ruling," according to Business Insider — the Thomases face scrutiny from many.

During Monday night's episode of MSNBC's The ReidOut, guest host Jason Johnson spoke with New York University professor of law Melissa Murray about what lawmakers should be doing to hold the pair accountable.

Johnson asked, "Is there something that, bare minimum, at least the government should be saying publicly regarding any of his rulings? Look, if there's not a supermajority to get him removed from the bench, why is it that Republicans who have ethics and Democrats who have concerns about democracy aren't banging the doors on this every single time he makes a ruling? Because nothing that this man says can be trusted if he's in the pocket of his wife and her corrupt MAGA friends."

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Murray replied, "To be clear, the Thomases have said conflicting things over the years. They've said although they are best friends melded together in this crucible of conservative grievance, they do not discuss the work he does on the court, nor does he discuss with her her work as an independent consultant for conservative causes. But again, that may belie what some might take as a little bit of fiction. It's hard to say what spouses do and do not talk about."

She continued, "But leaving aside whether or not there is an uncomfortable association between his dealings and hers, it is the fact of the optics that this looks so bad. it doesn't actually have to be any impropriety. It's just the mere fact it could appear to the ordinary member of the public that Justice Thomas perhaps is in the bag for some of the causes with which his wife is associated. And that is enough to bring disrepute on the court, on the court's decisions, and indeed, should be enough to inspire those in Congress who have some oversight to this other branch of government to say something about it, but yet we have heard precious little."

Watch the video below or at this link.

'Precious little' from Congress on Ginni and Clarence Thomasyoutu.be

READ MORE: Ginni Thomas helped establish a 'billion-dollar force' ahead of Citizens United: report

Business Insider's full report is available at this link.