Clarence Thomas’s R.V. Loan and Supreme Court Scrutiny

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

The New Yorker

Lizza, Wnyc, Wickenden, News, President, Washington, Obama, Barack, Politics

4.3 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2023

⏱️ 36 minutes

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Summary

The Washington Roundtable: Justice Clarence Thomas is once again under the spotlight—this time, for a forgiven R.V. loan. In the nineties, a wealthy friend loaned Thomas more than a quarter of a million dollars to purchase a forty-foot motor coach. A Senate inquiry has now found that Thomas’s loan was later forgiven, raising questions about the ethics of the deal. Over the years, the conduct of Justices appointed by both Democratic and Republican Presidents has been in question, the staff writer Jane Mayer explains, “but there is nothing that comes near the magnitude of goodies that have been taken by Clarence Thomas”: if Thomas “were in any other branch of government, he’d never be able to stay in that job.” Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are looking to subpoena three conservative donors and activists tied to gifts and trips involving Supreme Court Justices. Why has the judicial branch been allowed to regulate itself for so long, and who has the responsibility to clean it up? The New Yorker staff writers Susan B. Glasser and Evan Osnos join Mayer to weigh in on how the Supreme Court’s unchecked power has affected American politics.

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1:11.9	Welcome to the political scene from the New Yorker, a weekly discussion about the big questions
1:16.5	in American politics. I'm Evan Osnos, and I'm joined by my colleagues Jane Mayer and
1:21.7	Susan Glasser. Hi, Jane and hi Susan. Hey, Evan. Great to see you. Great to be with you guys.
1:37.4	Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has once again found himself under a harsh spotlight in Washington.
1:45.6	On Monday, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee announced plans to subpoena three conservative activists about their influence on the court. Among them was Justice Thomas's close friend and benefactor Harlan Crow. Of course, this
1:52.0	investigation is part of a much bigger story. Thanks to some fantastic reporting around the country
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