ProPublica Report Questions Clarence Thomas’ Impartiality In Upcoming Supreme Court Case

A new report from ProPublica (Lean Left bias) questioned Conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ ability to be impartial in an upcoming Supreme Court case.

The Details: ProPublica’s report said in 2018 Thomas secretly participated in donor events held by Stand Together, a network of organizations founded by libertarian brothers David and Charles Koch. The report highlighted one of the Supreme Court’s most-cited decisions, Chevron v. NRDC, which came in 1984 and could be overturned in the upcoming Supreme Court term.

For Context: ProPublica said the Koch Brothers have challenged the decision in court, lobbied for Congress to nullify it, and spent millions of dollars funding opposition research.

A Hit Piece?: Fox News (Right bias) criticized ProPublica for claiming to be an independent, non-partisan outlet, but receiving donations from entities on the left. It also featured a rebuttal from Stand Together. 

Key Quotes: Gretchen Reiter of Stand Together told Fox News,  "All of the sitting Justices and many who came before them have contributed to the national dialogue in speeches, book tours, and social gatherings. Our events are no different. To claim otherwise is false.” A spokesperson for Stand Together told ProPublica, “Thomas wasn’t present for fundraising conversations.”

How The Media Covered It: Coverage across the spectrum varied drastically. As of Sunday afternoon, many outlets from the left and center covered the story, while coverage was less common on the right. Right-rated sources that covered the story seem to suggest the significance of the report is overblown.