Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Accepted Luxury Gifts & Trips From Republican Donor (Report)
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas received “luxury vacations,” approximately costing upwards of $500,000, from billionaire Republican mega-donor Harlan Crow, according to a new report.
The 74-year-old justice enjoyed week-long retreats to the GOP donor’s private resort in the Adirondacks, vacations at his ranch in East Texas, and a 9-day trip to Indonesia thanks to the donor, according to a new ProPublica report, via People.
“For more than two decades, Thomas has accepted luxury trips virtually every year from the Dallas businessman without disclosing them, documents and interviews show,” the report reads.
His Supreme Court justice salary is $285,000. The trips are not included on his financial disclosures, ProPublica notes.
According to ethics experts, this may violate a law requiring justices, judges and other public servants to disclose most gifts.
He has not yet released a statement following the report.
Harlan Crow issued his own statement, saying he and his wife had been “very dear friends” with the Thomases since 1996.
“We have never asked about a pending or lower court case, and Justice Thomas has never discussed one, and we have never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue. More generally, I am unaware of any of our friends ever lobbying or seeking to influence Justice Thomas on any case, and I would never invite anyone who I believe had any intention of doing that. These are gatherings of friends,” he said.
Last year, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called for reconsidering even more protections of the rights of Americans.