I tend to think this whole string of ethics attacks on Thomas by the legislature and amplified by select media outlets is a convenient distraction from the conversation about insider stock trading in House and Senate (for which, btw, AOC and Gaetz have cosponsored a bill to ban, and deserves far more visibility and support).[2]
Really anything those two can agree on is worth attention, imo.
Not saying the criticisms of all justices don't have merit, though I think it's a minority of the balloons being floated that have any real "there" there. Avoiding even the "appearance of conflict" is the right bar, and virtually none of the justices have done a stellar job at this. That said, in terms of ethics crises, I'm far more concerned about insider trading in the Legislative branch. After that, probably pay-to-play schemes in the Executive branch and the revolving door with lobbyists. Somewhere far below that - but not at bottom - book deals and vacations for SCOTUS justices. The cynical side of me suspects attempts to delegitimize the institution correlate with balance of Court ATM and the displeasure of the loudest voices on the matter, rather than objective concern.
Valid? Yes. Deserving the bandwidth of zero-sum press coverage compared to other high-profile ethics issues implicating the very people driving the criticism of Court ethics right now? Meh, not so much.
[1] https://reason.com/volokh/2023/05/04/justice-thomas-long-ago...
[2] https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3984143-ocasio-cortez-gae...