Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' acceptance of copious amounts of extravagant gifts and failure to disclose any of it, as reported by ProPublica Thursday, drew condemnation from legal experts and political pundits, further fueling the widespread distrust of the high court in the public eye, demands for the imposition of an ethics code on the court and calls for his removal from the bench.
Since ascending to the highest court, Thomas has received an expansive swath of luxury gifts and travel from wealthy, conservative benefactors including, at minimum, 38 destination vacations, among which is a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the Bahamas; 26 flights on private jets and eight by helicopter; a dozen VIP passes to professional and college sporting events with seats in the skybox; two luxury resort stays in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an especially exclusive golf club along the Atlantic coast.
