The government watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is again seeking an investigation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s relationship with Harlan Crow, a billionaire and supporter of GOP causes. News reports have revealed that Crow gifted Thomas and his wife, Ginni, with pricey vacation getaways over the years, and more recently, it’s been revealed that Crow financially covered tuition for a family member of the judge’s.
The concern here is that these ties could facilitate Crow or his allies gaining outsized favor from the court. Although updates recently clarified the gifted hospitality that rules demand judges, including Supreme Court Justices, disclose, there have evidently already been requirements for the disclosure of travel, likely including the private jet and yacht trips Clarence and Ginni were taking. CREW also raised concerns about Thomas failing to disclose the gifted tuition support from Crow.
“Under the Ethics in Government Act, Thomas is required to disclose travel and other gifts, with the source and a brief description, including the value,” CREW said in a recent press release. “It appears Justice Thomas violated this law by failing to disclose the tens of thousands of dollars Crow spent to cover the tuition for the Justice’s relative.” Noah Bookbinder, who serves as president of CREW, spoke of how these widely reported problems with members of the Supreme Court abiding by basic standards for avoiding conflicts of interest inflict major impacts to their credibility.
“Once again, Justice Thomas’s failure to disclose Harlan Crow’s largesse further impairs public trust in the integrity of the Court as an institution,” Bookbinder said. “The Department of Justice and Chief Justice Roberts should act swiftly and urgently to investigate these latest allegations to determine whether Justice Thomas broke the law when he failed to disclose these payments on his public financial disclosures.” Roberts, notably, has faced his own ethics questions following revelations of massive levels of income made by his wife while working on high-stakes job placement for lawyers, a field in which it seems she’s positioned to personally and financially benefit from personal connections, not to mention whatever unwarranted favor towards involved lawyers and firms could come after. Read more at this link.
