Thomas Raised Supreme Court Pay Concerns in 2000 Amid New Ethics Scrutiny
• Justice Clarence Thomas raised concerns about Supreme Court justice salaries in 2000, saying one or more justices may resign without a pay raise
• Thomas told Rep. Cliff Stearns about his concerns during a flight back from a conservative conference
• Stearns reached out to a lobbying firm to help draft legislation to raise Supreme Court pay
• The memo provides context about Thomas's past financial concerns amid current controversy over his alleged ethics violations
• The Supreme Court recently adopted a code of conduct addressing gifts and trips for justices