Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., filed articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas on Wednesday.
According to Fox News, the impeachment articles accuse the justices of corruption and failing to withdraw from cases where they had conflicts of interest.
Ocasio-Cortez claims both justices accepted undisclosed gifts and were involved in cases where they had personal biases or financial interests. According to Ocasio-Cortez, these actions violate the integrity of the Supreme Court and the rule of law.
Justice Alito is accused of having a personal bias in cases he presided over, while Thomas is alleged to have participated in proceedings related to his wife's financial interests. Ocasio-Cortez contends that the actions of these justices pose a severe threat to American democracy.
Ocasio-Cortez’s impeachment filings include three articles against Justice Thomas and two against Justice Alito. The filing underscores alleged ongoing "unchecked corruption" within the highest court. Specifically, Alito’s involvement with controversies surrounding his home and personal politics has been questioned.
The articles specify instances where Justice Thomas failed to disclose gifts received from wealthy conservatives with business before the court. Thomas’s personal entanglements, especially those involving his wife's legal affairs, form the core of Ocasio-Cortez’s allegations.
Furthermore, the accusations against Alito are not confined to financial matters. Various claims imply that his personal political biases influenced his judicial decisions. The articles argue that both justices have compromised their ability to serve impartially on the Supreme Court.
These legal troubles arise amidst a recent Supreme Court decision on the immunity of former President Donald Trump. The Court ruled that there is "absolute immunity" for presidential actions within constitutional bounds and "presumptive immunity" for official acts, although no immunity exists for unofficial acts.
In her statements, Ocasio-Cortez emphasizes the importance of judicial integrity. She argues that Justices Thomas and Alito's failure to withdraw from cases with clear conflicts of interest represents a deviation from the principles of justice. She warns of a constitutional crisis that extends beyond the judiciary to threaten the American democratic system.
Ocasio-Cortez asserted:
The unchecked corruption crisis on the Supreme Court has now spiraled into a Constitutional crisis threatening American democracy writ large. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito’s pattern of refusal to recuse from consequential matters before the court in which they hold widely documented financial and personal entanglements constitutes a grave threat to the American rule of law, the integrity of our democracy, and one of the clearest cases for which the tool of impeachment was designed.
Concluding this dramatic development, Ocasio-Cortez remarked, "It is up to Congress to defend our nation from this authoritarian capture." The statement reflects a call to action for legislative bodies to address the perceived judicial overreach and its potential implications for democratic governance.
Through her impeachment filings, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has underscored serious allegations against Justices Alito and Thomas. The charges span undisclosed gifts, personal and financial biases in cases, and failure to adhere to ethical standards. If proven, these claims have significant implications for the integrity and perception of the U.S. Supreme Court.
