Clarence Thomas, having grown up poor in Georgia, may have seemed an unlikely choice for appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States by President George H.W. Bush. Thomas had big trouble being confirmed. But he was confirmed and now he’s a member of our nation’s highest court.
Unfortunately, however, he is “in the news” these days concerning his wife’s income — not his judicial service.
Justice Thomas has a conservative wife, Virginia, who had significant income for her work with a conservative policy “think tank,” the Heritage Foundation.
Now, a very liberal organization called Common Cause has raised an income tax question: Common Cause says Mrs. Thomas was paid $686,589 between 2003 and 2007 for her service to The Heritage Foundation — but that Justice Thomas did not note her income on his financial disclosure forms during those years. He reportedly said “none” where “spousal non-investment income” usually is listed.
It would not ordinarily seem to be the business of the public to know the private financial situation of Mrs. Thomas. But there are legal obligations for us all, including federal judges, when it comes to our families and our tax reports.