Month: April 2023

Democrats press Supreme Court chief justice to investigate Clarence Thomas’ trips with GOP megadonor

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House and Senate Democrats are demanding that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts launch an inquiry into Associate Justice Clarence Thomas and the luxury vacations he received as gifts from a GOP mega donor over more than 20 years.

Sixteen lawmakers led by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., sent a letter to Roberts on Friday requesting an investigation into "allegations of unethical, and potentially unlawful, conduct." A ProPublica report published this week found that Thomas’ close friendship with real estate developer Harlan Crow allowed him to accompany the Texas billionaire on luxury vacations on his private jet and yacht, as well as free stays on Crow’s vast vacation property, among other benefits.

Democrats have alleged that Thomas breached ethics rules by failing to disclose these trips as gifts, some of which were valued at more than $500,000, according to ProPublica. The letter chastises the court for having "barely acknowledged" the allegations before.

"We believe that it is your duty as Chief Justice ‘to safeguard public faith in the judiciary,’ and that fulfilling that duty requires swift, thorough, independent and transparent investigation into these allegations," the letter states. 

CLARENCE THOMAS REPORT SPURS NEW CALLS FROM DEMOCRATS FOR SUPREME COURT CODE OF ETHICS

Thomas issued a rare written statement responding to ProPublica's report Friday, insisting that he has always followed Supreme Court guidance on gift disclosures.

"Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over twenty-five years," Thomas said. "As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them. Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable." 

"I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines," he said. "These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance. And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future."

JUSTICE THOMAS DEFENDS TRIPS TAKEN WITH ‘DEAREST FRIENDS’ AFTER REPORT SAYS HE ACCEPTED GIFTS

In a statement to ProPublica, Crow denied ever trying to influence Thomas or put him in positions where other influential people could do the same.

"The hospitality we have extended to the Thomas’s (sic) over the years is no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends," part of the statement reads. "We have never asked about a pending or lower court case, and Justice Thomas has never discussed one, and we have never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue. More generally, I am unaware of any of our friends ever lobbying or seeking to influence Justice Thomas on any case, and I would never invite anyone who I believe had any intention of doing that."

Last month, the Judicial Conference of the United States, which creates and oversees policies for federal courts, revised its ethics and financial disclosure guidelines to require the justices to disclose things like traveling by private jet and staying in resorts.

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS CALL FOR CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT AFTER REPORTED UNDISCLOSED GIFTS FROM GOP MEGADONOR

The Democrats' letter notes that financial disclosure laws require top government officials to report gifts annually. It states there are "limited exceptions" for personal friendships, but argues, "these exceptions are not meant to allow government officials to hide from the public extravagant gifts by wealthy political interests. 

The undersigned lawmakers said the Supreme Court should investigate who accompanied Thomas on the undisclosed trips and whether they have any connections to cases pending before the court. "We have reason to believe that Mr. Crow himself is connected to multiple groups that have filed amicus briefs with the Court," the Democrats wrote. "Yet the public has no way of knowing who else with interests related to Justice Thomas' official duties joined these trips."

The Democrats said that if the court fails to act, they will push Congress to impose "a proper code of ethics" on the Supreme Court to "restore accountability" to the body. 

Fox News' Brianna Herlihy, Shannon Bream, Elizabeth Elkind and Bill Mears contributed to this report.

House lawmakers reimbursed for rent, food, other expenses as new policy takes effect

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New guidelines for Congress were finalized this week that will reimburse lawmakers for substantial portions of their rent, food and other expenses they incur while in Washington, DC – effectively giving members a pay hike.

It’s an issue that members have complained about for years – many have said their $174,000 salary, while well above the U.S. median, isn’t enough to afford housing in DC and in their home district. It’s forced many to share apartments together and even sleep in their offices.

Fox News Digital obtained a memo sent to House members on Friday morning detailing the rollout of the reimbursement policy, which seeks to clarify a change that had been agreed upon during the last Congress, before Republicans took control of the House.

Under the guidelines, lawmakers will be able to apply for cost reimbursements dated back to January 3, the beginning of the 118th session.

CONGRESS GETS PAY HIKE, COST-OF-LIVING BOOST UNDER BILLS FROM RETIRING DEMOCRAT

Members will be able to get cash back for rent, hotel fees, food and travel for days that qualify as "official business" – when Congress is in session or days designated for lawmakers’ relevant committee work. Days when members are traveling in and out of Washington are covered up to 75%.

Participation in the reimbursement plan is optional, but members who use it will see those disclosures become public record.

Meals and incidentals are capped at a daily maximum total of $79, which is in line with current regulations for federal employees by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

The GSA’s current rates also extend to how much of lawmakers’ lodging can be covered. The daily figure fluctuates. It was $188 per day in January and will be $258 per day in June, according to the document obtained by Fox News Digital. But members can be reimbursed for the daily amount only on days of "official business." For example, lawmakers would be able to get $1,880 back for 10 in-session days in January.

Factors used by the GSA to calculate the fluctuating rate include seasonality and property-selection criteria to align lodging rates with mid-range hotels, among other variables.

FREEDOM CAUCUS EYES FEDERAL WORKER PAY CUTS, SLASHING PROGRAMS THROUGH HOUSE RULE CHANGE

Rent on apartments, utility costs, as well as condo and HOA fees are all eligible uses for reimbursement. However, lawmakers who own property in the Washington, DC, area will not be able to get their mortgage payments paid back, the policy indicates. Members whose homes are within 50 miles of the Capitol will also be ineligible.

The update does not authorize any new spending but will rather use House lawmakers’ own Member's Representational Allowance for the costs.

GEN Z CONGRESSMAN-ELECT LAMENTS BEING DENIED DC APARTMENT DUE TO 'REALLY BAD CREDIT'

It comes after years of steady grumbling on Capitol Hill over the barriers for entry created by lawmakers having to foot their own food and housing bills while in Washington, DC.

The conversation has come back to the forefront in recent months as rent costs in the nation’s capital and its surrounding areas have skyrocketed. Lawmakers from lower- and middle-class backgrounds have complained that it’s difficult to get by as a member of Congress, having to have somewhere to stay in DC while maintaining a residence in their districts, without being independently wealthy.

Just after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was elected in 2018, she told the New York Times about her struggles trying to find housing in DC. She noted that she could not be on the payroll somewhere else in the time between her election in November and her January swearing-in.

"I have three months without a salary before I’m a member of Congress. So, how do I get an apartment? Those little things are very real," she said.

Late last year, freshman Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., revealed on Twitter that his application for a DC apartment had been denied due to bad credit, despite his hefty expected salary.

"This ain’t meant for people who don’t already have money," Frost wrote on the platform at the time.

"Been there," Ocasio-Cortez replied. "This is one of many ways Congress structures itself to exclude and push out the few working class people who *do* get elected. These systems are built for people who can lean on wealth. It’s shocking how detached from reality a lot of the details are - but I got you!"

CBP officials warn potential illegal immigrants that ‘border is not open’ as Title 42’s end nears

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Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials are warning migrants who are thinking of entering the U.S. illegally that the southern border is "not open" — ahead of the end of the Title 42 expulsion authority next month.

"The U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso Sector would like to remind migrants that the border is not open for those without authorization or a legal basis to enter," CBP officials in El Paso said via a statement on Thursday.

Officials have regularly issued warnings in both Spanish and English to combat what they see as misinformation being spread by smugglers and transnational criminal organizations that the border is open.

In the U.S., the debate over the ongoing crisis at the southern border has been fierce. Republicans have accused the administration of adopting "open border" policies that have fueled the crisis — which saw more than 2.3 million migrant encounters in FY 2022 alone. They have pointed to the halting of border wall construction, the ending of Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and the paroling in of migrants as examples of policies that have encouraged migrants.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS WANT ANSWERS FROM MAYORKAS ON ‘ABUSE OF PAROLE’ AT THE BORDER AFTER FIERY HEARINGS

Recently a Florida judge shut down the Biden administration’s paroling in on migrants with Alternatives to Detention and accused the administration of having "turned the Southwest Border into a meaningless line in the sand and little more than a speedbump for aliens flooding into the country."

The administration says it is restoring legal asylum pathways destroyed by the prior administration while tackling a historic hemisphere-wide challenge. It has also pointed to recent measures introduced in January, including an expansion of expulsions to four countries — Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti — along with a humanitarian parole program to allow up to 30,000 migrants from those nations to fly into the U.S. each month. It says those policies have been followed by a sharp drop in encounters at the border.

However, Title 42 is scheduled to end next month on May 11 along with the COVID-19 public health emergency. The order was introduced at the beginning of the pandemic and allows for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the border. Its ending has raised concerns that there will be a fresh surge of migrants at the border who believe they are more likely to be able to be released into the U.S. instead of returned. When the order was set to end at the end of 2022, officials warned of up to 14,000 migrant encounters a day.

FEDERAL JUDGE RULES BIDEN BORDER POLICY UNLAWFUL, A ‘SPEEDBUMP’ FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS 

The CBP officials, however, sought to emphasize that removals and other enforcement under the regular Title 8 authorities will still be in place. DHS has separately stated that it has a plan in place to deal with any surge, and will also be introducing an asylum ineligibility for those who cross illegally and have not claimed asylum in a prior country through which they traveled.

"The El Paso Sector is currently working with other sectors to assist with the expulsion of migrants encountered in the El Paso Region. Those migrants that are not amenable to expulsion and do not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S. will be placed in removal proceedings under Title 8. THIS HAS NOT CHANGED," the statement said.

MAYORKAS AGAIN REFUSES TO CALL BORDER SURGE A ‘CRISIS,’ SAYS IT WOULD INDICATE ‘WITHDRAWAL FROM OUR MISSION’

"We would like to emphasize that migrants encountered in the El Paso Sector are also currently being expelled through ports of entry throughout the southwest border," the statement added.

Border policy was under heavy scrutiny last month when Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appeared before Senate and House committees and defended his agency’s handling of the crisis in the face of fierce Republican criticism. 

Some Republicans have raised the possibility of impeaching Mayorkas for his handling of the crisis, with some lawmakers in the House already introducing impeachment articles against the DHS chief.

Those hearings came after Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz had testified to a House hearing that agents did not have "operational control" of the border and that there were multiple sectors facing a "crisis" situation.
 

AOC says she may draft Clarence Thomas impeachment article if no one else does

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., renewed her calls for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be impeached after a report detailed the justice's close relationship with a billionaire Republican donor — going so far as to say she will introduce articles of impeachment herself.

In comments made on the Lever Time podcast Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez said Thomas' position on the court is an "emergency" and a "crisis," and reiterated her full support for removing him. 

When asked if she would introduce the articles of impeachment herself, the New York lawmaker said she would step up if no one else does. 

"Congress is out of session for the next week. And so that does give Democrats some time to strategize, and the way I feel about it is that, I do think articles need to be introduced," said Ocasio-Cortez. 

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS CALL FOR CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT AFTER REPORTED UNDISCLOSED GIFTS FROM GOP MEGADONOR

"If we decide strategically that the actual author of those articles and who introduces them may not be me, that's fine, I will support impeachment. But I just think that if no one's going to introduce it I would certainly be open to doing so and drafting them myself," she continued, adding, "I think this has gone far, far beyond any sort of acceptable standard in any democracy, let alone an American democracy." 

Democrats have expressed outrage at Thomas because of his wife's conservative political activities and, most recently, a report that claimed the justice has received lavish gifts from a GOP mega-donor and never disclosed them. 

A ProPublica investigation found that Thomas’ close friendship with real estate developer Harlan Crow allowed him to accompany the Texas billionaire on luxury vacations on his private jet and yacht, as well as free stays on Crow’s vast vacation property, among other perks. He reportedly failed to disclose the vast majority of Crow’s gifts.

In a statement Friday, Thomas described Harlan and Kathy Crow as "among our dearest friends."

"As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them," Thomas said. "Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable."

"I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines," Thomas continued. "These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance. And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future."

The ProPublica report prompted several Democratic lawmakers to demand that a strict code of ethics be imposed on the Supreme Court by Congress.

CLARENCE THOMAS REPORT SPURS NEW CALLS FROM DEMOCRATS FOR SUPREME COURT CODE OF ETHICS

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thomas’ alleged actions are "simply inconsistent with the ethical standards the American people expect of any public servant, let alone a Justice on the Supreme Court."

"Today’s report demonstrates, yet again, that Supreme Court Justices must be held to an enforceable code of conduct, just like every other federal judge," Durbin said in a Thursday statement. "The ProPublica report is a call to action, and the Senate Judiciary Committee will act."

SUPREME COURT ALLOWS 12-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENDER GIRL TO RUN GIRLS TRACK IN WEST VIRGINIA

However, Democrats have been all bark and no bite before. Last year, Ocasio-Cortez was one of a handful of House Democrats who demanded that Thomas step down or be impeached because he would not recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Investigators on the Jan. 6 select committee revealed that the justice's wife, Ginni Thomas, sent text messages to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urging him to challenge Donald Trump's 2020 election loss.

"Clarence Thomas should resign," Ocasio-Cortez said at the time. "If not, his failure to disclose income from right-wing organizations, recuse himself from matters involving his wife, and his vote to block the Jan 6th commission from key information must be investigated and could serve as grounds for impeachment."

But Democrats took no action against Thomas. 

Ocasio-Cortez's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment asking if this time Democrats would follow through and introduce articles of impeachment against Thomas. 

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind and Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report. 

Justice Thomas defends trips taken with ‘dearest friends’ after reports say he accepted gifts

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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas issued a rare statement Friday to defend travel he took with his friends over many years, following reports that he failed to report travel-related gifts from a GOP mega-donor.

A ProPublica investigation published this week found that Thomas’ close friendship with real estate developer Harlan Crow allowed him to accompany the Texas billionaire on luxury vacations on his private jet and yacht, as well as free stays on Crow’s vast vacation property, among other perks.

But Thomas defended the trips and explained that he has always followed Supreme Court guidance.

"Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over twenty-five years," the justice, who has served on the bench for 32 years, said in a Friday statement.

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS CALL FOR CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT AFTER REPORTED UNDISCLOSED GIFTS FROM GOP MEGADONOR

"As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them. Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable," Thomas said.

CLARENCE THOMAS REPORT SPURS NEW CALLS FROM DEMOCRATS FOR SUPREME COURT CODE OF ETHICS

"I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines," he said. "These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance. And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future."

In a statement to ProPublica, Crow denied ever trying to influence Thomas or put him in positions where other influential people could do the same.

"The hospitality we have extended to the Thomas’s (sic) over the years is no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends," part of the statement reads. "We have never asked about a pending or lower court case, and Justice Thomas has never discussed one, and we have never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue. More generally, I am unaware of any of our friends ever lobbying or seeking to influence Justice Thomas on any case, and I would never invite anyone who I believe had any intention of doing that."

SUPREME COURT BLOCKS WEST VIRGINIA FROM IMPLEMENTING 'SAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS' LAW AS STATE BATTLES ACLU

Last month, the Judicial Conference of the United States, which creates and oversees policies for federal courts, revised its ethics and financial disclosure guidelines to require the justices to disclose things like traveling by private jet and staying in resorts.

The ProPublica report sparked reaction from Senate Democrats who called for a strict code of ethics to be imposed on the nine justices.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday that Thomas’ alleged actions are "simply inconsistent with the ethical standards the American people expect of any public servant, let alone a Justice on the Supreme Court."

"Today’s report demonstrates, yet again, that Supreme Court Justices must be held to an enforceable code of conduct, just like every other federal judge," Durbin said in a Thursday statement. "The ProPublica report is a call to action, and the Senate Judiciary Committee will act."

Progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., shared similar sentiments in her calls for accountability.

"The American people deserve a federal judiciary that is accountable to the rule of law, not wealthy Republican donors. Today's news is a stark reminder that judges should be held to the highest ethical standards and free from conflicts of interest," Warren wrote on Twitter

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Schiff leads California Senate fundraising race with $6.5M in first quarter

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Rep. Adam Schiff’s California Senate campaign has so far raked in more cash than his two rivals combined, in what’s shaping up to be one of the most closely watched primary races of the 2024 election cycle.

The retirement of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has sparked a fierce competition between three House Democrats all vying to represent the Golden State in the Senate.

But Schiff is already off to a commanding start, after he announced a first-quarter fundraising haul of $6.5 million. The campaign of Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., announced that she had raised $4.5 million in the same time period. Coming in at a distant third is Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., with $1.4 million raised.

ADAM SCHIFF CALLED OUT BY MSNBC HOST FOR FUNDRAISING OFF TRUMP INDICTMENT

Schiff said his campaign’s formidable haul came from grassroots donations rather than corporate dollars, and touted support from every part of California.

"Wow, just wow. Team Schiff raised an outstanding $6.5 million in the first quarter. Without taking a dime of corporate PAC [money]. With an average contribution of $45. From every county in [California!’ Schiff’s statement said.

"The grassroots support we've received has been incredible. And we've only just begun!" the former Donald Trump impeachment manager added.

CALIFORNIA DEM SENATE CANDIDATES ALL BACK FAR-LEFT CLIMATE PROPOSALS

Porter’s average donation was slightly lower, at $36. A statement on her campaign site said her $4.5 million is nearly twice that of what Vice President Kamala Harris brought in when she was in the Senate. Porter also pointed out that it’s more money than her would-be colleague, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., raised in the same time period.

"Californians deserve to feel confident that their next senator will fight for them, not corporate special interests," Porter’s statement said. "This is a people-powered campaign, and I’m so grateful and touched by all the support we’ve received so far from every part and pocket of California."

DIANNE FEINSTEIN ANNOUNCES SHE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2024

Fox News Digital has reached out to Lee for comment. Her campaign told Politico that she "doesn’t need as much money as her opponents. She just needs enough money to get through the Top Two primary."

Both Porter and Schiff are prolific fundraisers for the Democratic Party. Their battle is projected to be one of the most expensive Senate races in political history.

Porter raised a whopping $26 million in the 2022 election cycle – second only to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and just ahead of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, then the leader of Porter’s party.

Schiff came in just after Pelosi with slightly over $25 million.

Cartoon: Trump brand arrest ™

Posted on by Mark Fiore

Vimeo Video

If you’ve been enjoying my cartoons, join me on Patreon, where you can get prints, exclusive videos and other goodies — all while you help support my work!

Of course I would love it if the days of giving Donald Trump any attention were over, but it is kind of a big deal when an ex-president is arrested.

Let’s hope that this season’s Trump show won’t result in every news network giving him free airtime to rant and rave. So far, signs are good(ish) that media outlets won’t turn over their megaphones to him quite like they did when he first ran for president.

I’m not interested in the sheer outrageousness of Trump and the insanity that emanates from his mouth — as much as in who is supporting and defending him. Still. After the insurrection. After two impeachments. After so many lies. After ripping refugee children from their families. (Sorry, I just can’t seem to let that one go.)

It is truly incredible the amount of support the newly-arrested Donald J. Trump received from Republicans in Congress. Consider me surprised and flabbergasted at the same time.

Progressive Democrats call for Clarence Thomas impeachment after reported undisclosed gifts from GOP megadonor

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and other congressional progressive lawmakers called for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas amid reports he failed to disclose gifts he accepted from a Republican megadonor. 

"This is beyond party or partisanship. This degree of corruption is shocking - almost cartoonish," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Thursday. "Thomas must be impeached. Barring some dramatic change, this is what the Roberts court will be known for: rank corruption, erosion of democracy, and the stripping of human rights."

A report by ProPublica said Thomas took luxury trips on yachts and private jets owned by Texas businessman Harlan Crow without reporting them on financial disclosure forms. A 2019 trip to Indonesia, the story detailed, could have cost more than $500,000 had Thomas chartered the plane and yacht himself, the report said.

SUPREME COURT REJECTS APPEAL FROM LOUISIANA DEATH ROW INMATE SEEKING NEW HEARING

Supreme Court justices are required to file annual financial disclosure reports, which ask them about gifts they've received. 

Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., both called for Thomas' impeachment, with Omar tweeting: "I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Clarence Thomas needs to be impeached."

Other Democrats said the high court should have higher ethical standards. 

"Justice Thomas’ lavish undisclosed trips with a GOP mega-donor undermine the trust that our country places in the Supreme Court," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said. "Time for an enforceable code of conduct for Justices."

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., noted that federal judges are bound by a code of conduct "except 9."

"It's no longer ok for the Supreme Court to be the only federal court without a binding ethical code," Murphy tweeted. "For over a decade, every Congress I've introduced the Supreme Court Ethics Act. It's time to pass it."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the high court. 

Last month, the federal judiciary beefed up disclosure requirements for all judges, including the high court justices, although overnight stays at personal vacation homes owned by friends remain exempt from disclosure.

Last year, questions about Thomas’ ethics arose when it was disclosed that he did not step away from election cases following the 2020 election despite the fact that his wife, conservative activist Virginia Thomas, reached out to lawmakers and the White House to urge defiance of the election results.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

GOP Drafts Articles of Impeachment Against Defense Secretary Austin for Afghan Disaster

Posted on by The Center Square

By Bethany Blankley (The Center Square)

U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Florida, told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week that he was drafting articles of impeachment against him for “dereliction of duty.”

Mills cited the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan that put the Taliban back in power, led to the death of 13 service members, left thousands of Americans and Afghan allies behind, and left $83 billion worth of military training equipment, weapons and ammunition to U.S. enemies.

RELATED: Biden Admin Admits Over 100 Americans Still Left Behind in Afghanistan

At a House Armed Services Committee hearing held on March 29 on oversight of the U.S. Defense Department budget, Mills, an Army combat veteran and Bronze Star recipient, told Austin he’d already drafted articles of impeachment against him and planned “to hold him accountable.”

Mills asked Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who were both called to testify before the committee, “If an officer has a dereliction of duty, there are many articles which could remove him for that reasoning, is that correct?” They both replied in the affirmative.

He said his understanding of the definition of dereliction of duty “is a person’s purposeful or accidental failure to perform his obligations. Would we agree with that?” Austin shook his head in the affirmative.

“There’s also willful dereliction of duty,” Mills continued, “which in my opinion is nothing more than a failure through negligence.”

Mills addressed Austin directly, stating, “We have seen where we have failed to secure a status of forces agreement during Iraq withdrawal, which has now allowed ISIS to retake key locations in Baghdad. We have Afghanistan in control of the Taliban … with billions of dollars in weapons, armament, defense articles, millions of dollars in cash, thereby actually creating probably one of the most well-funded and well-positioned terrorist organizations in the world. Even though our intent in going into Afghanistan was actually to stop it from being a safe haven of terrorism.”

Mills cited U.S. foreign policy failures in the Middle East, saying they were personal because of his combat service and because before he was elected to Congress he helped “conduct one of the very first successful overland rescues of Americans who were left behind in this botched withdrawal.”

He also cited an example of a sergeant who could have taken out a suicide bomber in Afghanistan and saved American lives but there were escalation of force or rules of engagement not allowing him to do so, Mills said. “The idea of being deployed and going down without an escalation of force or clear rules of engagement even after receiving a BOLO identifying the target is a failure in leadership,” Mills said, looking Austin directly in the eye.

RELATED: Afghan Reconstruction Inspector Believes US Destined to Repeat Mistakes in Ukraine

“In my opinion, this is willful,” he added. “That is why Secretary Austin not only do I believe that you should have resigned,” but his actions constituted “a dereliction of duty.”

“I take that very seriously, especially for our armed service members and those who are looking for accountability as a result of this botched withdrawal,” he continued. … “I’ve already drafted my articles of impeachment for dereliction of duty.”

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, was next called to speak but first asked Austin if he wanted to respond to Mills’ comments. Austin replied by saying, “The congressman is certainly entitled to his opinion.” He then looked at Mills and said, “We all thank you for your service. I don’t take a back bench when it comes to patriotism, devotion to our cause here, protection to our troops.”

Appearing to be taken off guard, Austin began his response calmly but his tone escalated to appear to be combative, saying, “In the short 41 years that I spent in uniform, … almost six years of that was in a combat zone. So, I get it. I commanded Bagram Airforce Base so I know a little bit about Bagram Airforce Base. But again, you’re welcome to your opinion and so I’ll leave it at that.”

On the day of the hearing, Mills published a short statement, saying, “When we had the chance, our leadership blew it. Sergeant Major Vargas-Andrews had the bomber in his sight, and in my view, it was a failure of leadership that he was not given the OK to take him down. This is not about politics; this is about accountability. That is why I drafted articles of impeachment to hold Secretary Lloyd Austin accountable for his dereliction of duty.

Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.

The post GOP Drafts Articles of Impeachment Against Defense Secretary Austin for Afghan Disaster appeared first on The Political Insider.