domenick2x
07-07-2010, 07:04 AM
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39426.html
Secret donors make Thomas's wife's group a tea party player
When Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s wife announced in 2008 that she was going to help run Washington operations for a Michigan college once described as “a citadel of American conservatism,” she said the move was her “way of pulling away from politics” and the “safest place for me to be when it comes to conflicts” with her husband’s position on the court.
But, less than two years later, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas has returned to partisan politics as a fully engaged opponent of President Barack Obama, whom she has described as “hard left” and steering the nation “for tyranny.” As founder and president of a think tank and advocacy group called Liberty Central, she quickly established herself in the tea party movement by drawing on her longstanding ties to Washington’s conservative establishment and by landing two big donations — one for $500,000 and another for $50,000 —that put her group on the map.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39426.html#ixzz0szdJkMk8
Now, a couple of things (from later in the article):
Mrs. Thomas has vetted her group with the Supreme Court legal office, and they cleared her.
It is unknown whether Justice Thomas knows who the two donors are to his wife's group.
So, the question is this - SHOULD we expect a situation like this to have full disclosure - and this would apply to all spouses of all major elected officials - or are we okay with a presumption of 'not knowing' if Justice Thomas knows (if he does, would he even recuse himself)?
For the far right, if Ginsberg or another Lefty Justice were in the situation, what would you think is the best course?
Secret donors make Thomas's wife's group a tea party player
When Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s wife announced in 2008 that she was going to help run Washington operations for a Michigan college once described as “a citadel of American conservatism,” she said the move was her “way of pulling away from politics” and the “safest place for me to be when it comes to conflicts” with her husband’s position on the court.
But, less than two years later, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas has returned to partisan politics as a fully engaged opponent of President Barack Obama, whom she has described as “hard left” and steering the nation “for tyranny.” As founder and president of a think tank and advocacy group called Liberty Central, she quickly established herself in the tea party movement by drawing on her longstanding ties to Washington’s conservative establishment and by landing two big donations — one for $500,000 and another for $50,000 —that put her group on the map.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39426.html#ixzz0szdJkMk8
Now, a couple of things (from later in the article):
Mrs. Thomas has vetted her group with the Supreme Court legal office, and they cleared her.
It is unknown whether Justice Thomas knows who the two donors are to his wife's group.
So, the question is this - SHOULD we expect a situation like this to have full disclosure - and this would apply to all spouses of all major elected officials - or are we okay with a presumption of 'not knowing' if Justice Thomas knows (if he does, would he even recuse himself)?
For the far right, if Ginsberg or another Lefty Justice were in the situation, what would you think is the best course?