On Sunday's edition of HBO's 'Last Week Tonight,' host John Oliver said: made a suggestion directly To Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. After showing off his new luxury RV worth $2.4 million, Oliver offered to give the RV to Thomas, along with $1 million a year in cash, if the judge signed a contract promising to “fuck the Supreme Court.”
He is not the first to think of such a suggestion. Former cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried awaiting sentencing It has been reported that seven people attempted to negotiate with representatives of Donald Trump's campaign about how much money they needed for criminal charges. Don't let Trump run again In 2024, they reportedly agreed to a $5 billion settlement, which Bankman-Fried was willing to pay, but was arrested before he could cut the check.
Both of these proposals appear to be illegal. because they should be illegal. But they are just the opposite of what is already happening. A wealthy client is buying something nominal that will do exactly what they want in their office.
Thanks to the 2010 Supreme Court ruling Citizens United v. FEC Decisions about campaign financing and other outrageous decisions have left political candidates awash with money from those who do business before the government. Dark money groups, billionaire donors, and large super PACS exert influence over candidates, making the idea of buying votes seem outdated. Now they buy candidates by the dozen, knowing that most candidates need their favor to remain competitive in a system where a Senate run can cost as much as $2.5 billion.
There are essentially no rules in the Supreme Court other than you cannot be impeached. Recently released, despite being completely toothless code of conduct. conservative super supporter Harlan Crowe have shower gifts To Thomas. This includes global reach. superyacht cruisemore expensive vacation and retreat, school tuition for one of Thomas's relatives, and house Where Thomas' mother lives. In return, Crow received a credible verdict from Thomas. Rather than pay him back.
Plus, this is all peanuts to Crow. forbes He and his brothers' net worth is estimated at around $2.5 billion. That's almost 13,000 times that. median net worth of the American family. Receiving a $250,000 gift meant as much to Crow as giving a $20 tip to a waiter would mean to most people. And Crow is a big deal compared to the wealth of those at the top of the Forbes list.
From state legislatures to the Supreme Court, politicians can receive all the compensation they need to run for office and, once elected, receive even more in return for their votes. These are the opponents. civil union Advocates of campaign finance reform have been warning for decades.
The problem has always existed, but has become much worse since the former Speaker of the House. Newt Gingrich and Senate Minority Leader. Mitch McConnell We have shown that a government based on tradition and respect for people is like a house built on sand. Any idiot can break it. All that was needed was a complete lack of decency.
Paying Thomas to resign may seem like a ridiculous move. But he's already being paid handsomely to stay. Providing a counteroffer may be the simplest solution. Even if they are not successful, they can highlight flaws in a seriously compromised system.
If $5 billion actually prevents Trump from running, you could probably raise that money in an afternoon. Unfortunately, at this point, Trump seems more interested in defeating his seemingly endless enemies and protecting himself from the consequences of his crimes. It also has no end. Besides, even if he made a deal, he would just take the money and run (for public office) anyway.
It is clear that this is all illegal. But in the meantime… Dear Clarence, That camper looks really nice. take it. Take it.
Oooh yes! Democrats made a huge showing in New York's special election on Tuesday. Of course, we'll talk all about this in this week's episode of “The Downballot.” Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard explain how Tom Suozzi's victory factors into the calculations of Democrats' plans to take back the House, and detail the seemingly endless list of excuses Republicans have been making to hand-wave defeat. Bottom line: Suozzi has effectively neutralized his attacks on immigration, and abortion remains a big loser for Republicans.
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