Justice Clarence Thomas Breaks Silence on Vacation Scandal

Justice Clarence Thomas and Crow Harlan have taken annual vacations together
The justice claims that the reporting rules for personal hospitality have recently been revised
Experts in judicial ethics and watchdogs reacted promptly

Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court stated on Friday that he was not obligated to disclose that Republican megadonor Harlan Crow funded the numerous travels he and his wife took.

Thomas stated that colleagues advised him on the nation's highest court and other federal judges that "personal hospitality from close personal acquaintances who did not have business before the Court was not reportable."

Justice Clarence Thomas' Luxury Trips

However, the judge did not identify the other justices or judges he consulted with, KARE11 reported. ProPublica, a non-profit investigative journalism organization, reported on Thursday that Thomas, a judge for over 31 years, has accepted nearly annual luxury vacations from Crow for over two decades.

Thomas, 74, and his wife, Virginia, have traveled on Crow's yacht and private aircraft and stayed at his private resort in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Thomas's voyage to Indonesia in 2019 would have exceeded $500,000 had he chartered the aircraft and yacht.

Like other federal judges, Supreme Court justices must submit an annual financial disclosure report requesting a summary of gifts received but exempting hospitality from friends.

Regarding whether Thomas was obligated to disclose the travels, the opinions of ethics experts diverge. Last month, the federal judiciary increased disclosure requirements for all judges, including the Supreme Court justices; however, overnight stays at personal vacation residences owned by acquaintances remain exempt.

Thomas' detractors rebutted his defense swiftly on Friday, with Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse focusing on Thomas' assertion that the Crows had no business before the Supreme Court.

The ProPublica report described a portrait at a New York property owned by Crow's company that depicts Thomas, Crow, and other influential figures in Republican politics, such as Leonard Leo, the former head of the Federalist Society, who played a crucial role in former President Donald Trump's overhaul of the federal bench.

Some of Thomas's travels with the Crows were also attended by executives of major corporations and a representative of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Per CNN, Crow remains on the board of AEI, and the think tank's scholars have occasionally filed amicus briefs in Supreme Court cases. The controversy has spotlighted the judiciary, which is increasingly tasked with settling violent disputes between the political branches of government.

As confirmation hearings have evolved into political spectacles and high-stakes cases on abortion, gun rights, and religious liberty have diverged along familiar conservative-liberal ideological lines, critics assert that the Supreme Court is becoming increasingly political.

Thomas used a private aircraft to travel to Indonesia and board a yacht staffed by a private chef, according to the ProPublica report. According to the source, if Thomas had paid for this vacation alone, it would have cost over $500,000. According to WXYZ, the annual salary of a Supreme Court justice is $285,000. Given his career in public service, he could not afford such travels.

ProPublica's Report Sparks Fury

The report infuriated Senate Democrats. Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, promised to take action. According to ProPublica, Thomas has accepted visits from Harlan Crow for over 20 years without disclosing them.

Crow stated in a statement to the publication that he and his wife had known Thomas and his wife Ginni since 1996. Crow denied that the vacations were proposed in exchange for something from Thomas.

In 1991, Thomas was appointed to the Supreme Court. House Judiciary Committee member Hank Johnson was among the Democrats who introduced the Supreme Court Ethics Recusal and Transparency Act. The measure would impose the same gift reporting requirements on Supreme Court justices and staff as on members of Congress.

Congress allows members and staff to accept gifts exceeding $250 from personal acquaintances, but they must obtain committee approval before accepting. According to the government watchdog database OpenSecrets, Crow has contributed over $20 million to political causes, primarily through Republican donors.