Topnotch Lawyers Paid Clarence Thomas' Aide

The Guardian's Stephanie Kirchgaessner, in a report published on July 12, said lawyers who have had business before the Supreme Court (SC), including one who argued to end race-conscious admissions at universities, paid money to a top aide to Justice Clarence Thomas, according to the aide's Venmo transactions.

Photo Insert: Rajan Vasisht served as Thomas' aide from July 2019 to July 2021.

The payments appear to have been made in connection with Thomas' 2019 Christmas party.

The reporter adds: "The payments to Rajan Vasisht, who served as Thomas' aide from July 2019 to July 2021, seem to underscore the close ties between Thomas — who is embroiled in ethics scandals following a series of revelations about his relationship with a wealthy billionaire donor — and certain senior Washington lawyers who argue cases and have other business in front of the justice."

The former Thomas aide's Venmo account, Kirchgaessner revealed, shows that in late 2019, he "received seven payments" from "lawyers who previously served as Thomas legal clerks."

The attorneys who made the Venmo transactions, Kirchgaessner said, included Kate Todd (who was a White House deputy counsel under former President Donald Trump), Consovoy McCarthy (who made anti-affirmative action arguments to the Court), Elbert Lin (former West Virginia solicitor general and a major critic of environmental policies) and the late Will Consovoy.

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