Dhe arch-conservative US constitutional judge Clarence Thomas has reportedly accepted gifts in the form of luxury travel from a Republican billionaire for years. As the US research foundation Propublica reported on Thursday (local time), the real estate magnate Harlan Crow paid the longest-serving Supreme Court judge a trip to Indonesia, which alone may have cost $ 500,000 (almost 460,000 euros). Thomas himself justified the trips on Friday with “private hospitality” Crows.
Expensive gifts were not reported
According to Propublica, it can prove with dozens of interviews, photos and documents that Thomas accepted the expensive gifts without reporting them. Thomas himself stated that he was not aware of the rules that apply to declarations related to such stays. “Harlan and Kathy Crow are two of our best friends,” Thomas explained. “As friends do, we have accompanied them on a number of trips.”
According to Thomas, fellow judges had previously “advised that this type of personal entertainment by close personal friends who have no business before the Court is not reportable.” The guidelines are currently being changed and it is “of course my intention to follow this guidance in the future”.
Travel in private jet and on yacht
According to Propublica, the 74-year-old accompanied Crow to an exclusive California wilderness resort for men and to properties in the US states of Texas and New York. He is also said to have accepted a flight in a private jet and a yacht trip. Crow told Propublica his gifts to the constitutional judge were “no different from the hospitality we offer to our many other dear friends.” Pending cases were never discussed.
The report shows that the Supreme Court is the “least accountable” institution in the US central government, said the organization “Fix the Court,” which advocates for Supreme Court reform.
Large donations to Republican groups
The New York Times called Thomas and Crow’s 20-year friendship “unusual and ethically sensitive.” According to the research foundation, Crow has donated more than ten million dollars to Republican political groups – according to which, among other things, half a million dollars to a conservative lobby group, the founder of which is Thomas’ wife Ginni.
Ginni Thomas is also a supporter of former President Donald Trump’s election lie. After the 2020 presidential election, he refused to acknowledge his defeat by Democrat Joe Biden and made allegations of electoral fraud that have been refuted many times over. After the disclosure of text messages and emails sent by Ginni Thomas as part of Trump’s campaign, Democrats spoke of a conflict of interest and asked her husband to withdraw from all campaign issues. His resignation was also demanded.
Thomas was appointed by Republican President George HW Bush in 1991 and was confirmed despite allegations of sexual harassment from a former aide. He denies the allegations and speaks of being the victim of a “high-tech lynching”.
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