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This story begins with a photorealistic painting and a handwritten list.

The painting is of a daytime outdoor scene,

the backdrop a meshwork of tall green forest trees. Foreground five men sit in very

rustic looking at a rondack chairs relaxed but deep in discussion. Behind and

above them towers a statue of a Native American man,

face-lifted, well-muscled arms raised, palm up, as if in gratitude or reverence, two feathers in his hair, long braids draped over his bare chest.

The men are middle-aged and wear outdoorsy clothes.

Two in shorts, the others in Chino style hiking pants,

hiking shoes, one even in those open-toed outdoor sandals,

thick straps, good tread. On a small end table between them, the

paraphernalia of cigar smoking, lighter, cutter, cigars. The lone black man appears to be the one talking. He's slumped back in his chair,

cigar held aloft, mouth open, eyes in the middle distance.

The others listen, three looking directly at his face.

The fourth staring into space, cigar tucked between his fingers, hand dangling from a loose wrist draped over the arm of the chair.

The speaker is Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas.

The painting is at the center of ProPublica's reporting from April of last year,

which ignited a media firestorm and a crisis of faith in the independence of our highest court.

...