The independent news outlet ProPublica has published another damning investigation in its series on the connections between Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and donors who may be impacted by cases that come before his court, that’s the nation’s highest court. The latest story concerns the libertarian billionaires Charles and David Koch, who have spent millions on conservative causes and funneled vast donations into Republican campaigns. The report is headlined “Clarence Thomas Secretly Participated in Koch Network Donor Events” and follows up on past reports that Clarence Thomas secretly accepted luxury trips from GOP donor Harlan Crow and many others.
In the new piece, ProPublica reports Justice Thomas has attended Koch donor events at least twice over the years, and, quote, “That puts Thomas in the extraordinary position of having served as a fundraising draw for a network that has brought cases before the Supreme Court, including one of the most closely watched of the upcoming term,” unquote. The pending Supreme Court case challenges a precedent-setting case known as Chevron and seeks to limit the power of federal agencies to issue regulations in areas ranging from the environment to labor rights to consumer protection. David Koch died in 2019. His brother, Charles Koch, did not respond to the new report, but a Koch network spokesperson told ProPublica, quote, “Thomas wasn’t present for fundraising conversations. … The idea that attending a couple events to promote a book or
— source democracynow.org | Sep 25, 2023