The High Court judge eventually revealed the gifts, writing that he had “inadvertently omitted” them in the past
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has finally decided to disclose the gifts he received from a major GOP donor. The gifts in question were reported last year by ProPublica, sparking an ethics scandal surrounding the longtime conservative justice.
Thomas, in a financial disclosure released Friday, acknowledged that conservative billionaire Harlan Crowe paid Thomas to accompany him on trips to Bali and California in 2019. Thomas wrote in the filing that he “inadvertently omitted” gifts from Crowe in previous filings and that his inclusion of the gifts in this year's filing came after he “sought and received guidance from his accountant and ethics counsel.”
ProPublica first reported last April about Thomas' relationship with Crowe, noting that “almost every year” he had accepted rides on private jets, stays at private resorts and invitations to hang out on yachts owned by the Texas-based billionaire. who had given millions to right-wing causes. ProPublica later revealed that Crowe also bought $133,000 worth of property from Thomas, allowing his mother to live there, and that he paid private school tuition for a child Thomas was raising. The revelations have led to intense scrutiny of Thomas' ability to rule impartially while inspiring calls for the Supreme Court to enact a strict ethics code.
Thomas has denied any wrongdoing, claiming he and his wife have long been friends with the Ravens and there was no need to disclose “that kind of personal hospitality”. The deposition released Friday marks the first time Thomas has acknowledged that he did need to disclose the extent to which Crowe financed their vacation.
The admission is unlikely to assuage many concerns about the Supreme Court operating according to the far right first and then the Constitution. Thomas' wife, Ginny Thomas, played a role in the effort to overturn the 2020 election results, and Thomas has refused to recuse himself from cases related to that effort. Justice Samuel Alito also refused to recuse himself from cases related to Jan. 6 after the New York Times reported that two flags associated with the “Stop the Steal” movement were flying at his residences.
Refusing to resign, Alito blamed his wife, writing in a statement that she “loves to wave flags.”
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/clarence-thomas-discloses-gifts-harlan-crow-1235035545/