Clarence Thomas officially discloses trips gifted by GOP megadonor
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas during a formal group photo in 2022. Photo: Eric Lee/Getty Images
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has officially disclosed two 2019 trips paid for by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow in new financial filings.
Why it matters: Thomas faced sharp criticism for failing to report the luxury vacations, which ProPublica uncovered last year. The revelation also fueled calls for the Supreme Court to adopt sweeping ethics reforms.
Driving the news: Thomas' newly released financial disclosure report for 2023 said the trips were "inadvertently omitted at the time of filing."
- The trips, both in July 2019, were to Bali, Indonesia, and Monte Rio, Calif. Harlan and Kathy Crow paid for food and lodging at a hotel and private club, per the report.
The big picture: Crow's financial involvement with Thomas has extended beyond vacations.
- He made private school tuition payments for Thomas' grandnephew. ProPublica also revealed that a company owned by Crow purchased properties in Savannah, Ga., owned by Thomas and his family members.
- ProPublica reported that Thomas has taken at least 38 trips, including private jets, yachts and luxury resort stays, paid for by multiple billionaires.
Context: In November, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to authorize a subpoena for Crow as part of a Supreme Court ethics probe.
- Top Democrats have also called on the Justice Department to open an investigation into Thomas.
The latest: A pair of photo albums with a value of $2,000 were Thomas' only reported gift from 2023.
Zoom in: Other highlights from the latest financial disclosure reports include Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson receiving four concert tickets worth $3,711 from Beyoncé last year.
- Jackson reported a nearly $900,000 book advance from Penguin Random House as well.
- Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch reported five- to six-figure income from book royalties.
Kavanaugh also disclosed that he coached a girls basketball team of fifth and sixth graders at Blessed Sacrament School in Washington, D.C.
- He has been a coach at his daughters' school since before joining the Supreme Court. He previously said he worried that the sexual assault allegations he faced during his confirmation would force him to give up coaching.
Go deeper: Clarence Thomas attacks Brown v. Board ruling amid 70th anniversary
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details from the financial disclosure reports and context.
