Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Has Become the Butt of a Pizza Chain's Joke

A pizza chain creates a pizza deal inspired by Justice Clarence Thomas' controversial relationship with major GOP donor Harlan Crow.

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Apr. 20 2023, Published 11:13 a.m. ET

Justice Thomas Attends Forum On His 30 Year Supreme Court Legacy
Source: Getty Images

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is sometimes under fire for his divisive rulings as a Republican Justice, but his controversial relationship with Texas super-donor Harlan Crow has recently made headlines. The Justice received several expensive gifts from Crow worth hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.

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This has turned Thomas into a major talking point, so much so that even a pizza eatery has taken note. Check out how this pizzeria is capitalizing on the political controversy.

One pizza chain had a sale inspired by Clarence Thomas.

&pizza, a casual fast-food pizza chain in the United States Northeast located in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, decided to capitalize on the ongoing controversy to drive sales. FOX Business reports that &pizza shared an email blast that said, "every pie on sale, just like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas." The gist of the joke here is that just like the limited-time deal, Thomas is cheap and can easily be bought out. &pizza did not respond to FOX.

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What's happening with the Clarence Thomas-Harlan Crow scandal?

The most pressing scandal that scathes Thomas' reputation is his relationship with billionaire and major GOP donor Harlan Crow. The Ethics in Government Act in the White House requires Thomas to remain transparent about any financial assets gifted to him, which in the instance with Crow did not happen. Since the news broke, there's been a public outcry for Thomas to be investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Per Slate, "the law provides that disclosures must include the identity of the source, a brief description, and the value of all gifts," and the Judiciary Conference Filing Instructions say that all gifts over $415 must be disclosed. Similar information is required for gifts of travel reimbursement under the act. Additionally, Thomas did not share that he sold three properties in Savannah, Georgia to Crow for $133,363. Any property transaction over $1,000 must be self-reported.

Legal ethics expert at Washington University in St. Louis Kathleen Clark has been studying Thomas' financial disclosures for years. "Thomas was hiding a financial relationship with Crow," she said when gauging the nature of their interactions. Thomas has reportedly also accepted private jet flights, private resort stays, and international cruises from Crow over what's alleged to be decades. In a statement, Crow claimed that there was no deeper meaning behind his gift-giving to Thomas.

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