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.
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.
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.
Should have offered 100 million. You’re right. He won’t sell out his legacy for a million, but I bet he would for 100.
He already sold out his legacy ffs
He sold his “legacy” for a luxury fishing trip.
That was Alito. Thomas sold his legacy for a bus.
I mean, fishing can be a really great time.
Somehow I don’t think John Oliver can quite afford to straight up offer someone 100 million dollars.
But this is the thing that’s dangerous about this otherwise hilarious premise.
If you can pay judges to leave so you can stack the court with your people… The court is even more fucked.
I have a good feeling it’s also illegal. How is this not a bribe to a political figure?
I’d guess the shows lawyers looked into this.