Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose yet another private travel gift from Republican billionaire Harlan Crow, according Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
In a letter addressed to an attorney for Crow, Wyden cited records from Customs and Border Protection that show Thomas and his wife, Ginni, took a round-trip flight from New Zealand to Hawaii on Crow’s private jet in 2010, The New York Times reported.
Thomas has a long history with Crow, who has treated the Supreme Court justice to vacations for over 20 years, according to an investigation by ProPublica. The investigation also revealed that Thomas had also sailed on Crow’s yacht, the Michaela Rose, in New Zealand.
“Neither Mr. Crow nor Justice Thomas have disclosed the full scale of Thomas's use of the Michaela Rose and private jets courtesy of Mr. Crow,” Wyden’s letter reads.
“I am deeply concerned that Mr. Crow may have been showering a public official with extravagant gifts, then writing off those gifts to lower his tax bill,” Wyden wrote.
The accusation comes after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez D-N.Y., introduced articles of impeachment against Thomas last month. The articles accuse Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito failing to disclose income and gifts from Republican megadonors, among other accusations.
Supreme Court justices are required to fill out a financial disclosure form and must report any outside gifts or financial sources. Thomas has repeatedly failed to do so.
Amid the controversy surrounding Thomas and Alito, President Joe Biden recently called for three reforms to “restore trust and accountability” in the Supreme Court: overturning the recent ruling that grants a president immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts, term limits for justices and a binding code of conduct that would require justices to disclose gifts.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican who has dismissed criticism of Thomas and other right-wing justices, said Biden’s proposal would be “dead on arrival” in the House.
