Justice Clarence Thomas disclosed that billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow paid for two trips he took in 2019, stating that this information was “inadvertently omitted” from earlier forms. The trips have sparked controversy over the gifts Supreme Court justices receive, especially after ProPublica revealed the unreported trip was among the yearly vacations Thomas accepted from Crow without disclosure. Following calls for ethics reform, Thomas has now acknowledged the trips in his latest report.
In his 2023 report, Justice Thomas consulted his accountant and ethics counsel before amending the 2019 report to include the two trips. The first entry mentions Harlan and Kathy Crow as the source of a trip to Bali, Indonesia, on July 12, 2019, where they covered food and lodging expenses at a hotel. The second entry lists Harlan Crow as the source of a trip to a private club in Monte Rio, California, from July 18 to 21, 2019, where the donor also paid for Thomas’ food and lodging.
Required by law, these annual disclosure reports are meant to show the outside income, travel, and gifts received by Supreme Court justices. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s report, also released recently, shows that she received concert tickets worth $3,700 from Beyoncé. However, as per investigations by ProPublica and a watchdog group, these reports may not provide a complete picture.
Responding to the ProPublica report, Thomas initially claimed he was not obligated to report the trips under the previous ethics rules. The Supreme Court introduced a new code of conduct last year, but critics argue that there is limited enforcement, as the trips were considered “personal hospitality.” Additionally, a report from Fix the Court highlighted that justices have received nearly $4.8 million in gifts over the past two decades, with Thomas alone receiving more than $4 million.
Fix the Court also suggested that Thomas likely received over 100 gifts, predominantly undisclosed trips and stays, totaling closer to $6.6 million in gifts. The organization emphasized the need for stricter gift acceptance rules at the Supreme Court to address the ongoing ethics crisis.
Last year, Justice Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito requested extensions for filing their disclosure forms. Meanwhile, Democrats have yet to issue subpoenas to Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo, despite authorizing them in November, according to ProPublica.
