1106
submitted 9 months ago by girlfreddy@lemmy.ca to c/news@lemmy.world

Oliver made the proposal on Sunday’s episode of his HBO show Last Week Tonight, saying the supreme court justice had 30 days to accept or it would expire.

The British-born comedian’s offer came after a steady drumbeat of media investigations in the previous several months established that Thomas failed to disclose that political benefactors bought him lavish vacation travel and real estate for his mother. Thomas also failed to disclose – as required – that he allowed school fees for a family member to be paid off and had been provided a loan to buy a luxury motor coach, all after openly complaining about the need to raise supreme court justices’ salaries.

As a result, Thomas’s impartiality came into question after he sided with the contentious ruling that eliminated the federal abortion rights once provided by the Roe v Wade case.

He also recently listened to arguments over whether Donald Trump can be removed from states’ ballots in the presidential election after the former president’s supporters – whom he told to “fight like hell” – staged the January 6 attack at the US Capitol in Washington DC. Thomas resisted pressure to recuse himself from such matters, even though his wife, Ginni Thomas, is a conservative political activist who has endorsed false claims from Trump and his supporters that the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden was stolen from him.

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[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 295 points 9 months ago

Associate Supreme Court Justice annual salary: $285,400

So if he turns it down, he either really likes being a judge (he doesn't act like it) or he's got a financial incentive beyond his salary to stay.

And I'm guessing he'll turn it down.

[-] Atom@lemmy.world 120 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

We're stuck with him till 2034 at least, he had this to say following his confirmation:

"The liberals made my life miserable for 43 years," a former clerk renmembered Thomas who was 43 years old when confirmed saying, according to The New York Times. "And I'm going to make their lives miserable for 43 years."

https://www.businessinsider.com/clarence-thomas-told-clerks-he-wants-to-make-liberals-miserable-2022-6?amp

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 103 points 9 months ago

Yes, but he also lies all the time, so I wouldn't exactly take than on face value.

[-] Crikeste@lemm.ee 61 points 9 months ago

I wonder what ways he thinks liberals made his life miserable. Honestly sounds like this idiot doesn’t even know what the word ‘liberal’ means.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca 38 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

He didn't like people thinking he got into law school etc because he was black. He fervently hates affirmative action.

[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 48 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

He hates it because he's literally one of the people whom affirmative action helped put him in a position he is totally unqualified for (Supreme Court Justice).

His evidence that it is bad and doesn't work is... himself.

What was that thing about conservatives and projection.... Oh yeah: "It's always projection."

[-] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 20 points 9 months ago

What's funny is the only people who think he got in that way are conservatives lol.

[-] grue@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago

Maybe initially only conservatives thought that, but as a not-conservative I've got to admit that the way he's been acting is making a more and more compelling case for it.

[-] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 56 points 9 months ago

I dunno. Oliver has guaranteed him a cool $1mil per year, until either Thomas or John dies (out of his own pocket no less!!), AND thrown in a brand new, top of the line Prevost Marathon motor coach.

It's a mouth-watering deal.

[-] iturnedintoanewt@lemm.ee 59 points 9 months ago

Which he will turn down. If you watch the episode you'll see all the perks he enjoys from being who he is. Which of course he'd stop being invited to, if he retired from the position.

[-] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 21 points 9 months ago

True (and I watched the episode), but it doesn't take away from the fact it is a sweet deal. I bet you Thomas considers it, even if he chooses not to take it.

[-] CosmicTurtle@lemmy.world 25 points 9 months ago

It was scary seeing the stark difference between when he was begging his legislative colleagues that they need to raise their pay and his more recent interviews about how they are paid.

It's clear as day that even though he isn't getting paid more, he's getting paid plenty.

The funny thing was that I almost couldn't get a security clearance because I had so much debt in my early career days. The fact that there is zero oversight over the Supreme Court is just baffling.

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[-] billiam0202@lemmy.world 47 points 9 months ago

Third option: he turns it down because he likes STIGGINIT too much.

What's funny is, NPR did an interview with a guy who wrote a book on Thomas, and one of the things he points out is how much Thomas hates affirmative action because of a deep-seated insecurity about his own accomplishments.

Which becomes the ultimate irony: the only reason Thomas is on SCOTUS is because Republicans wanted a black man to replace Thurgood Marshall, but without all the pesky "morals" and "ethics." In other words, he obtained the pinnacle of his career... Because of his skin color.

No wonder he hates himself.

[-] Nastybutler@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago

I truly believe Uncle Ruckus from The Boondocks is the best portrayal of Thomas anyone has done.

[-] invertedspear@lemm.ee 41 points 9 months ago

Even if he decided it was a good deal, if he cares about the legacy of his past decisions at least seeming legitimate, he has to turn it down. We all know he’s for sale, but he loses deniability if he straight up sells out.

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 18 points 9 months ago

if he was concerned with anything he's done seeming legitimate, He probably wouldnt have taken all the bribes and shit that we know of thus far.

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[-] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 116 points 9 months ago

We don’t deserve John Oliver. He is too good and pure.

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago

I'm convinced that Stewart retired cause Oliver stole the source of his power when he left TDS to go to HBO.

[-] aStonedSanta@lemm.ee 19 points 9 months ago

I’d agree but. Stewart had a much harder job multiple days of the week imo. Oliver gets a week to really write gold. So Stewart still goated imo. Or his writing team was lol

[-] Drusas@kbin.social 10 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Oliver's team can spend months researching and writing individual episodes. They don't cram those main segments into a single week of writing.

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[-] lennybird@lemmy.world 83 points 9 months ago

I'm just annoyed HBOMax is now delaying pushing John Oliver's segments to YouTube but I guess it was inevitable...

[-] Akasazh@feddit.nl 34 points 9 months ago

Ah that's why it didn't show up yet. Enshittyfication.

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[-] garretble@lemmy.world 81 points 9 months ago

I’m stealing this joke from someone I saw on bluesky or Masto (I forget), but:

Why would he take a pay cut?

[-] KursoryGlance@lemmy.world 53 points 9 months ago

Thomas is just going to use this to negotiate better pay from his existing benefactors...

[-] Xavier@lemmy.ca 23 points 9 months ago

That is fine too. Better be more expensive for them.

However, I'm rather inclined to suspect that they have enough "blackmail" over the course of his life's proclivity (including some before he even became a judge) hence money is probably not going to sway him that much.

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[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 49 points 9 months ago

I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t take it.

  • It’s likely a bigger bribe than he’s already getting.
  • He’s old and probably tired of working.
  • it’s an election season and republicans will just stall any new appointments to replace him until after the election.
[-] plz1@lemmy.world 30 points 9 months ago

Republicans are not in charge of the Senate.

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[-] ganksy@lemmy.world 49 points 9 months ago

The hero we want and need. Bless you John Oliver!

[-] Vlarbgersplah@lemmy.ml 46 points 9 months ago

Even if this did top his current bribes, I can't seem him walking away from the power.

[-] SloppyPuppy@lemmy.world 42 points 9 months ago

Just fundraise like 100 mil to get trump out of the race. Totally worth it and hes gonna take it with both hands.

[-] MisterD@lemmy.ca 59 points 9 months ago

He'd take the money and stay in the race

[-] Neato@ttrpg.network 15 points 9 months ago

Yeah. He'd just fight the suit in court for years. And then when ordered to repay her could and have lived off they interest if they didn't somehow seize it into escrow.

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[-] some_guy 35 points 9 months ago

I didn't realize the show was back. Outstanding work. The Trump-packed courts are the reason I don't think the USA can be fixed during my lifetime and will only get worse.

[-] thecrotch@sh.itjust.works 10 points 9 months ago

Trump had nothing to do with Clarance Thomas, he's been in since the 90s

[-] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 26 points 9 months ago

Trump put 3 of his own on it tho.

[-] StrawberryPigtails 27 points 9 months ago

I saw this last night! ROFL! John Oliver kept asking how it was legal for him to make the offer! lol. I kinda hope Justice Thomas takes the offer.

[-] Neato@ttrpg.network 11 points 9 months ago

Contracts can do pretty much anything legal. This is offering money to not work and penalties for this round be repayment. So there isn't a lot of risk involved at long as someone doesn't try to screw to receiver through bad contractual language.

[-] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 11 points 9 months ago

John was aiming more for the "I can bribe a SCOTUS judge to quit the court and not get into trouble???" part of it.

[-] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 13 points 9 months ago

Cool, but the Republicans would just block any appointments until after the election, like they did with Garland.

[-] HighElfMage@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago

Only the Senate gets to block appointments like that, and Democrats control the Senate.

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this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2024
1106 points (97.6% liked)

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