Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas reportedly accepted luxury trips from a Republican donor for decades

By Kevin Breuninger -

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has for more than two decades secretly accepted luxury trips paid for by real estate developer Harlan Crow, one of the largest donors to the Republican Party, in apparent violation of a financial disclosure law, according to revealed this Thursday the investigative medium ProPublica.

The 74-year-old conservative judge vacationed on Crow's 162-foot superyacht, flew on the businessman's private jet, and spent time at various

Crow

and other luxury venues, ProPublica reports, citing documents from those who had access and dozens of interviews.

Thomas, at a White House ceremony.Bloomberg via Getty Images

Thomas, who has been a member of the Supreme Court since 1991, has not reported these trips in his financial statements as required by law, according to the aforementioned media.

This investigation fuels criticism of Thomas from those who argue that there is a conflict of interest over his refusal to recuse himself from cases on issues related to his wife's political work in conservative circles, including her involvement in plots to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Ethics experts and former judges interviewed by ProPublica were incredulous at the information.

Thomas "seems to have completely disregarded his ethical obligations," said Virginia Canter, an adviser to the watchdog group CREW.

"When a judge's lifestyle is subsidized by the rich and famous, it absolutely erodes public trust," she added.

[They ask Judge Clarence Thomas to stay away from the cases of the assault on the Capitol for the role his wife played in the attack]

In a statement to ProPublica, Crow said, "The hospitality we extend to the Thomases over the years is no different than that we extend to our many other dear friends."

Thomas and his wife, Ginni Thomas, "never asked" for any of the gifts Crow made to projects celebrating "the life and legacy" of the judge, according to the Texas real estate mogul.

"They have never asked about a pending or lower court case, and the judge has never talked about it, and we have never tried to influence the judge on any legal or political issue," he said.

Crow befriended Thomas after he entered the Supreme Court, according to ProPublica.

His donations exceed $10 million, the outlet adds, though it is unknown how much money he has given to groups that are not required to disclose his donors.

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Thomas usually spends about a week each summer at Topridge,

Crow's private lakeside

in the Adirondacks mountains of northeast New York state, and has used the businessman's private plane numerous times, according to records from flight cited by ProPublica.

In 2019, shortly after the Supreme Court issued its final ruling of the judicial season, the Thomases flew on Crow's plane to Indonesia, where they spent a nine-day vacation aboard the property developer's yacht, a trip that cost more than of $500,000, according to ProPublica.

Supreme Court justices are subject to fewer ethical restrictions than lower echelons of the judiciary.

Some groups have called for the implementation of a code of ethics for the high court.

Judges submit financial statements, and experts say they are required to disclose all gifts they receive valued at more than $415.

Although there are exceptions to this requirement, transportation is not one of them.

[The committee investigating the assault on the Capitol obtains messages from the wife of Thomas to perpetuate Trump in power]

"If Thomas received free trips on private planes and yachts, not reporting the gifts is a violation of the disclosure law," said Kedric Payne, ethics director at the Campaign Legal Center.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, a Democrat, lashed out at Thomas in a statement responding to information released Thursday.

"The highest court should not have the lowest ethical standards," he said.

"This behavior is simply inconsistent with the ethical standard the American people expect of any public servant, let alone a Supreme Court justice," he concluded.