Justice Clarence Thomas raised the issue of a raise in salary during his early days as a Supreme Court justice. In fact, he even went so far as to indicate that he might resign if his demands for higher compensation were not met; this inspired a campaign by Republican supporters to address his concerns. This information is based on a memo addressed to the chief justice in June of 2000, a document that had been contained in Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist’s papers held at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, and which was recently obtained by The New York Times.
The memo further revealed that a top official of the federal courts system, L. Ralph Mecham, wrote that Justice Thomas had discussed the issues surrounding pay with Representative Cliff Stearns, a member of the Republican Party from Florida. It was conveyed that the compensation at the Supreme Court was unsatisfactory, and there was a risk that one or more justices would leave if their pay was not increased.
Concerns over Justice Thomas’s salary led to Mr. Stearns’s office seeking assistance from a lobbying group affiliated with the Podesta brothers to draft a bill to bolster the justices’ pay. This request raised numerous reservations within an array of federal judges, who were concerned about how to best proceed.
The issue surrounding Justice Thomas’s demand for higher compensation and the potential financial pressures he had been facing at that time, are topics raised in a memo addressed to Chief Justice Rehnquist. Correspondence with Representative Stearns outlined the specifics of their conversation, indicating an intention to examine the issue of pay.
Mr. Stearns told ProPublica in a recent interview that they were intent on ensuring that Justice Thomas was being paid properly due to his importance as a conservative. The memo cited the conversation and asked the Chief Justice for his advice on handling the matter.
Mr. Mecham reflected on the proposed amendment that would separate the pay of justices from that of all other judges, members of Congress, and cabinet members. He also outlined plans to establish a commission to study the salaries of justices. Despite this, Mr. Mecham questioned the wisdom of pushing Congress to approve a pay raise for Supreme Court justices. He also expressed reservations about the potential public and political backlash that such a move could provoke.
In 2000, Chief Justice Rehnquist raised the issue of increasing judicial salaries, expressing what he considered to be the most pressing issue facing the judiciary.
This newly revealed information about Justice Thomas’s complaints adds to the ongoing debate about ethics on the Supreme Court and his personal financial matters. It also sheds light on his repeated need to seek assistance and support from wealthy donors, at a time when he was carrying significant debt.
