(BrightPress.org) – Late-night talk show host John Oliver offered Justice Clarence Thomas a cool million per year if Thomas agrees to retire from the U.S. Supreme Court during a bit for the new season of his show.
“Last Week Tonight” opened its 11th season on Sunday, February 18th, giving Oliver the opportunity to lament Thomas’ constitutional conservatism. He suggested that Thomas was busy “stripping away women’s rights” and seemed concerned that Thomas could side with J6 defendants in upcoming cases on the docket. He suggested Thomas “definitely shouldn’t” rule on those cases.
Oliver made no bones about the bribe, saying he’d pay the man a million a year and throw in a luxury RV, all he has to do to accept is sign the deal and “get the f*** off the Supreme Court.” He said Thomas has 30 days to accept the offer before it expires.
Oliver continued to prod, suggesting Thomas discuss the matter with his friend. Oliver is alluding to billionaire Harlan Crow, who has a close relationship with Thomas. Crow had covered expenses for Thomas and his family on multiple vacations, including inviting Thomas to spend time on Crow’s mega yacht.
Yale School Law Professor George Priest told ProPublica that he believed Crow’s generosity wasn’t intended to sway Thomas’ rulings on the high court, but rather were a result of his belief that members of the high court aren’t paid well enough. Crow has never had a personal interest in any cases that Thomas has ruled on, but he is a regular Republican donor.
Oliver is familiar with ultra-wealth as he’s a member of that class. While not a billionaire quite yet, he’s certainly a multiple-millionaire with a net worth of roughly $50 million. His salary is a cool $8 million per year, so with that alone, he can cover his offer to Thomas.
Divided by the number of episodes per year yields a net payment of roughly $380,000 each.
Justice Thomas, on the other hand, makes just under $300,000/year.
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