In a development that further intensifies the ethics scrutiny surrounding U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Senate Democrats said they uncovered evidence of additional undisclosed private travel provided by wealthy conservative donor Harlan Crow.
The revelation has prompted renewed calls for transparency and accountability at the highest levels of the judiciary. Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat and chair of the Senate Finance Committee, shared a New York Times article on his X, formerly Twitter, account, bringing immediate attention to the issue.
“Another day another undisclosed trip Clarence Thomas took on a billionaire’s private jet,” Wyden posted.
It was disclosed on Monday that Customs and Border Protection records show Thomas and his wife, Virginia Thomas, took a round-trip flight between Hawaii and New Zealand in November 2010 on Crow’s private jet.
Newsweek contacted Thomas’ office via email and Supreme Court’s online form for comment on Monday.
This trip was not publicly disclosed by Thomas, raising fresh concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the justice’s adherence to ethical guidelines.
The revelation comes amid a broader investigation into Thomas’ relationship with Crow and other wealthy benefactors. In a letter to Crow’s attorney, Wyden expressed deep concern that Crow “may have been showering a public official with extravagant gifts, then writing off those gifts to lower his tax bill.”
The discovery of this additional undisclosed travel has reignited debate about the need for stronger ethics rules for Supreme Court justices. Unlike other federal judges, Supreme Court justices are not bound by a formal code of conduct, a situation that has drawn increasing criticism from legal experts and government watchdogs.
Thomas has faced mounting questions about his ethics since ProPublica published a series of investigative reports beginning in April 2023. The reports detailed numerous luxury vacations, private jet flights and other expensive gifts that Thomas allegedly received from Crow and other wealthy friends over the years, many of which were not disclosed on his annual financial forms.
The scope of the benefits Thomas reportedly received is substantial. According to ProPublica’s investigations, the justice has enjoyed “at least 38 destination vacations, including a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the Bahamas; 26 private jet flights, plus an additional eight by helicopter; a dozen VIP passes to professional and college sporting events, typically perched in the skybox; two stays at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast.”
The total value of the benefits is estimated to be in the millions of dollars, raising serious questions about potential conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety. Critics argue that such lavish gifts from individuals who may have interests before the court could compromise the integrity of the judicial process.
In response to the mounting controversy, President Joe Biden last week unveiled a package of reform measures aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in the Supreme Court. The proposals include the implementation of a binding code of conduct for the justices and stricter rules on gift disclosures.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates emphasized the administration’s stance, saying: “As President Biden said at the LBJ Library last week, the Supreme Court is ‘mired in a crisis of ethics,’ and today’s news strengthens the case he made for common-sense reforms.”
WH’s @AndrewJBates46 on Times report that Clarence Thomas failed to disclose more private flights: “As President Biden said at the LBJ Library last week, the Supreme Court is ‘mired in a crisis of ethics,’ and today’s news strengthens the case he made for common-sense reforms.” pic.twitter.com/FXBqT4yYRH
— Joey Garrison (@joeygarrison) August 5, 2024
As the Senate Finance Committee continues its investigation, the outcome of this inquiry could have far-reaching implications for Thomas and the broader debate on Supreme Court ethics reform.
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