-Originally blogged by leveymg on Democratic Underground
June 26, 2011- We've all heard them, the reasons given for why Clarence Thomas can't be immediately removed from the Supreme Court. But, like so much else we've been told, they're mostly a batter of lies with some plain, simple ignorance of Constitutional case law mixed in.
Here are the top 5 reasons given why we should just move along and leave poor Clarence and Ginny Thomas alone, and why most of what we're being told in the corporate media about this is plain pig-headed nonsense:
MYTH 1) Clarence Thomas may have committed some obscure ethics violation, and he’s a creep, but there’s no real crime here for which he might be removed from office. Why do you go on about Indicting Clarence Thomas?
REALITY #1) Clarence Thomas repeatedly falsified the federal Financial Disclosure Form, AO-10. All federal judges fill out these forms annually, and they are signed under oath. He knowingly and willfully failed to disclose his wife’s income from the Heritage Foundation at least five years in a row, 2003-2007. See Exhibit 1, below:
Exhib. 1:
That was a violation of a federal criminal statute, 5 USC App. 104, which makes False Statements punishable by a year in prison and a $50,000 fine for each count.
Exhib 2, The controlling statute:
5 USC App. 104
(a)
(1) The Attorney General may bring a civil action in any appropriate United States district court against any individual who knowingly and willfully falsifies or who knowingly and willfully fails to file or report any information that such individual is required to report pursuant to section 102. The court in which such action is brought may assess against such individual a civil penalty in any amount, not to exceed $50,000.
(2)
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly and willfully
(i) falsify any information that such person is required to report under section 102; and
(ii) fail to file or report any information that such person is required to report under section 102.
(B) Any person who
(i) violates subparagraph (A)(i) shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both;
It’s not as if Clarence can claim he wasn’t aware that the form was being signed under penalty of law. That warning is printed right on the form below the signature line, as highlighted, below.
Exhib. 3:
****INDICT CLARENCE THOMAS****