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Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz was criticized after he accused Democrats of having a "special" hatred of Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas "because he's a Black man."
Cruz made the accusations during a recent interview on Fox News, in which host Maria Bartiromo questioned Thomas' involvement in ethics investigations surrounding expensive gifts and trips that were not disclosed.
He spoke in Thomas' defense, praising him as one of the "greatest" Supreme Court justices in history, and insisting that the left despises him "because he is a Black man" who does not subscribe to "left-wing orthodoxy."
Cruz later posted footage of his remarks to his official Twitter feed in which he erroneously claimed that "the radical left is directing a political smear job" against Thomas.
You can hear what Cruz said in the video below.
\u201cThe radical left is directing a political smear job at Justice Clarence Thomas.\n\nWhy?\n\nBecause Justice Thomas is one of greatest Supreme Court justices to ever serve and the radical left despises him because he is black, conservative, and disagrees with left wing orthodoxy.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1682888700
Cruz said:
"We know what Justice Thomas did wrong. He's been one of the greatest Supreme Court justices ever to serve on the court. He has been a principal constitutionalist and the left despises him; Democrats hate Justice Thomas, and they have the special degree of hate for him because he's a Black man."
"And their view is that African-American is not allowed to be a conservative is not allowed to disagree with left-wing orthodoxy."
"Justice Thomas, they view as a traitor because he is African-American. He's an extraordinary justice."
"They're not looking at any of the Democrat justices. They're not looking at any other judges. This is a political smear job directed at Clarence Thomas because he is an extraordinary constitutionalist."
Last month, a bombshell report published by ProPublica revealed Thomas has been accepting luxury trips from GOP megadonor Harlan Crow for more than 20 years without disclosing them, a possible violation of federal law.
\u201cFor decades, Justice Clarence Thomas has secretly accepted luxury trips from a major Republican donor, newly obtained documents and interviews show.\n\nThe extent and frequency of these apparent gifts to Thomas has no known precedent in modern SCOTUS history... \ud83e\uddf5\ud83d\udc47\u201d— ProPublica (@ProPublica) 1680778197
According to the report, Thomas has taken these trips every year, yet failed to report them, as required by law, raising concerns about potential corruption and lawbreaking.
These undisclosed ties to a conservative donor have sparked outrage among influential Democrats and judicial advocates, who are now calling for action.
Many have strongly refuted Cruz's claims, arguing that they are based on false assumptions and misinformation.
\u201c@tedcruz Yeah, that's it Ted. Not like he didn't help himself to a billionaires special treats.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1682888700
\u201c@tedcruz Ted. Ted. Ted. Assuming you have no ethical boundaries is fatuitous. Defending Clarence Thomas\u2019 record of deceit and fraud \u201cest des preuves solides\u201d. \nYour greatest handicap is your ability to speak.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1682888700
\u201c@Logically_JC @tedcruz Silly me! I thought it was because Thomas failed to report mandatory filings, accepting expensive gifts from a radical right wing extremist billionaire, and making SCOTUS decisions affiliated with that billionaire!\n\nIs Ted Cruz gaslighting & lying to us AGAIN?\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1682888700
\u201c@tedcruz Don\u2019t forget it\u2019s also because he seems to have been receiving millions of dollars of undeclared gifts from a Conservative donor. There\u2019s that too.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1682888700
\u201c@tedcruz RIght, it has nothing to do with his not disclosing the grift he has been taking from his billionaire friend, or the fact that his wife helped planned the insurrection and he refuses to recuse himself from anything to do with the same matter. You know, like the rest do.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1682888700
\u201c@tedcruz Clarence Thomas broke the law.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1682888700
\u201c@tedcruz He's a nightmare when it comes to ethics just like the majority of the RW theologists in robes.\u201d— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1682888700
Thomas has faced previous ethical controversies, including his failure to recuse himself in a case brought by former President Donald Trump to prevent the House select committee from accessing White House documents related to the January 6 insurrection.
It is worth noting that Thomas' wife—conservative activist Ginni Thomas— was involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election with Trump supporters.
Thomas later responded to ProPublica's report by insisting that the "personal hospitality" of his friends was not "reportable." He added that he has personally "always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines.”