Justice Clarence Thomas revealed on Thursday that Republican megadonor Harlan Crow had financed private jet trips for him to attend a speech in Texas and enjoy a vacation at Crow’s opulent New York estate. Thomas explained that he opted for private transportation in May due to heightened security concerns following the leak of the Dobbs opinion, which had overturned Roe v. Wade just a few days earlier. These disclosures came after Thomas was granted an extension to file his annual reports, originally due in May. Critics have long criticized Thomas for allegedly skirting ethics laws by failing to properly report luxury trips, real estate dealings, and other gifts funded by wealthy associates.
In response, an attorney representing Thomas issued a statement and executive summary, asserting that there had been no deliberate ethics violations and that any reporting errors were entirely unintentional. The attorney also pushed back against what they characterized as a partisan feeding frenzy targeting the justice, likening it to political warfare.
Justice Samuel Alito also released his financial disclosures on Thursday, and the Supreme Court issued a statement to the media regarding these developments. These new reports are likely to intensify the resolve of Senate Democrats, who are advocating for a series of ethics reforms within the high court. As of now, Senate Democrats have not reached a consensus on potential reforms, and there is no formal agreement to implement any specific bill.
The justices themselves have not yet reached a unanimous agreement to address a bill from the Supreme Council of Ethics and the Supreme Commission of Justices, which aims to introduce a series of reforms to the high court. Justice Elena Kagan and her colleagues have yet to reach a consensus on this bill from the Supreme Commission.
