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According to a recent MoveOn petition, the message is clear: A lot of people are sick of Justice Clarence Thomas.
As reported by Newsweek, the petition has obtained over 1.2 million signatures towards its goal of 1.3 million. The petition is helping to amplify the calls to remove the long-serving Associate Justice from office.
Initially, the petition was filed due to Thomas’ refusal to recuse himself from the investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol Riots, fueled by a failed attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. MoveOn initially highlighted Thomas’ wife, Virginia, who not only cheered for the insurrectionists but also heavily encouraged former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to help overturn the election.
Of course, this would be more than enough to warrant a petition. However, it started to pick up speed with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion. Justice Thomas wrote a scathing concurrent opinion, suggesting that the Supreme Court should follow similar actions on laws protecting same-sex marriage and contraception.
The petition states, “It’s only the latest in a long history of conflicts of interest in the service of a right-wing agenda and mixing his powerful role with his conservative political activism. He has shown he cannot be an impartial justice and is more concerned with covering up his wife’s coup attempts than the health of the Supreme Court. He must resign—or Congress must immediately investigate and impeach.”
Thomas is the Supreme Court’s longest-serving member and most senior member of its conservative wing. Of course, we all know about the controversy surrounding his confirmation. However, only one Supreme Court Justice was impeached in 1804, but never removed.
In all, removing Thomas from the Supreme Court is a long shot. Still… It is definitely worth trying!
