Justice Clarence Thomas' Aide Received Venmo Kickbacks From Lawyers With Cases Before the Supreme Court: Report
Jul. 12 2023, Published 5:15 p.m. ET
A top aide for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas allegedly received Venmo payments from lawyers who had business being heard by the court, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The shocking accusation came from a damning ProPublica exposé that detailed Thomas' decades-long beneficial friendship with Republican billionaire Harlan Crow. Crow treated Thomas to lavish vacations, bought his mother a house, and even paid tuition for the justice's great-nephew's private school education.
Despite a conflict of interest from being intimately aligned with the Republican donor, Thomas failed to disclose the gifts — and chose to enjoy the fruits of his lifelong position in secret.
It appeared that one of Thomas' top aides also took note of perks — and cashed in on some of his own. According to the Guardian, Rajan Vasisht, who served as George H. W. Bush's appointed Justice from 2019 to 2021, began receiving alarm-raising Venmo payments from high-profile attorneys around November 2019.
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Vasisht's now-private Venmo account showed he was paid on seven different occasions between November and December 2019. The payments were sent from Thomas' former legal clerks. While the amount that each former clerk paid Vasisht was not publicly disclosed, the descriptions of each transaction were listed.
"Thomas Christmas Party" and variations like "CT Christmas Party" or just "Christmas Party" were used.
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While the descriptions suggested the Justice hosted a festive celebration, how the funds were appropriated remains a mystery. Two payments were allegedly made by attorneys who coincidentally won a recent case heard by Thomas and his fellow justices.
Patrick Strawbridge argued before the court that affirmative action was unconstitutional after reportedly paying Thomas' aide on Venmo.
The Court sided with Strawbridge in a controversial ruling that effectively ended anti-discrimination protection for minority students seeking higher education.
Another Venmo payment allegedly came from Kate Todd, who served as Donald Trump's White House Deputy Counsel at the time of the transaction. Elbert Lin, former Solicitor General of West Virginia, also contributed to Vasisht's Venmo balance.
Lin was a key player in a case that aimed to curb the Environmental Protection Agency's regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. It appeared the court kissed the ring as they ruled against the EPA in favor of Lin's argument.
Other notable names on the Venmo transaction log included Brian Schmalzbach, who argued multiple cases before the court, as well as Manuel Valle and Will Consovoy, the exposé stated.