‘The Court is in Crisis’: Clarence Thomas’ Reported Failure to Disclose Lavish Gifts From GOP Billionaire Donor Explodes on Twitter
ProPublica sparked a media uproar with a bombshell report detailing how Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepted luxurious perks from a Republican megadonor, perks Thomas never disclosed as required by law.
The report delves into multiple instances over the years where the conservative justice and his wife, Ginni, were treated to lavish vacations, yacht cruises, and flights on a private jet, all on the dime of billionaire real estate developer Harlan Crow. ProPublica analyzed flight records, internal documents, and interviews with dozens of Crow’s employees to track his access to Thomas and the number of times the justice schmoozed with Crow and his friends while accepting princely trips to exclusive locations.
Crow gave ProPublica a statement on his friendliness with the Thomases while claiming he and his cohorts “never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue.” However, ProPublica reports that Justice Thomas never revealed anything about this in his financial disclosures, which raises the possibility he violated ethical norms along with a law requiring public officials to disclose these kinds of gifts
From the article:
“It’s incomprehensible to me that someone would do this,” said Nancy Gertner, a retired federal judge appointed by President Bill Clinton. When she was on the bench, Gertner said, she was so cautious about appearances that she wouldn’t mention her title when making dinner reservations: “It was a question of not wanting to use the office for anything other than what it was intended.”
Virginia Canter, a former government ethics lawyer who served in administrations of both parties, said Thomas “seems to have completely disregarded his higher ethical obligations.”
“When a justice’s lifestyle is being subsidized by the rich and famous, it absolutely corrodes public trust,” said Canter, now at the watchdog group CREW. “Quite frankly, it makes my heart sink.”
Thomas has been a regular magnet of controversy for years, and ProPublica notes that the ethical complications of their report come amid recurring scrutiny of Ginni Thomas’ involvement in the events proceeding the January 6 Capitol Riot.
ProPublica’s report made a major splash on Twitter, where news observers were shocked and alarmed by the implications surrounding the Thomases.
