Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas broke his silence about gifts he’s received from billionaire Dallas real estate scion Harlan Crow, in a financial disclosure form filed this week.
Thomas filed his first disclosures of such gifts in nearly two decades, months after news broke that he has been accepting, and failing to disclose, lavish gifts from Crow for decades.
Thomas addressed allegations of failing to report luxury trips, flights on Crow’s private jet and a real estate transaction in which Crow bought a house from the justice, the New York Times reported.
He also used the disclosure to defend some of the gifts. Regarding flights on the former Crow Holdings CEO and Republican donor’s private jet, Thomas said he was advised to avoid commercial travel after a draft opinion, aimed at eliminating a constitutional right to abortion, was leaked.
“Because of the increased security risk following the Dobbs opinion leak, the May flights were by private plane for official travel as filer’s security detail recommended noncommercial travel whenever possible,” Thomas wrote.
He also amended previous disclosure statements that had “inadvertently omitted” information. Crow’s gifts of luxury excursions date back to the 1990s, including trips to New Zealand, the Greek islands and an exclusive enclave in the Adirondack Mountains.
Thomas acknowledged his travels with the Dallas billionaire, but he didn’t address other alleged gifts. For instance, Crow paid roughly $100,000 in tuition for Thomas’ grandnephew to attend private schools in Georgia and Washington, D.C. Crow also funded a documentary about the justice’s life and a statue of a beloved former teacher of Thomas.
The Thomas-Crow saga has raised questions about the limited disclosure requirements for Supreme Court justices and how they’re held responsible for compliance. Lawmakers have pushed for a stricter ethics code in light of the scandal. Unlike other federal judges, Supreme Court justices are not subject to binding ethics rules, the outlet said.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. also disclosed a private flight to Alaska in 2008, financed by hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer. In the ensuing years, Singer had business before the Supreme Court. Both justices argued that the gifts did not need to be reported at the time.
In March, the Judicial Conference of the United States, which sets policy for federal courts, announced rule changes requiring the disclosure of private jet flights. Thomas mentioned that he followed the previous rules and is seeking guidance on whether he should further amend his previous reports.
—Quinn Donoghue
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