Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas defended himself on Friday against allegations that he has been taking secret lavish vacations on a private jet and superyacht paid for by a GOP megadonor for years without disclosing them.
In a statement, Thomas called billionaire GOP megadonor Harlan Crow one of his “dearest friends,” adding, “as friends do, we have joined [Mr Crow and his wife] on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them.”
“Early in my tenure at the court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the court, was not reportable,” Thomas said. “I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines.”
“These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance,” Thomas added. “And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future.”
Thomas’ statement came after a bombshell report from ProPublica on Thursday revealed that he has been accepting gifts from Crow for years without disclosing them. The outlet found that Thomas had accepted lavish trips to Indonesia and New Zealand on board Crow’s superyacht, regularly flies on Crow’s private jet and vacation at properties own by the billionaire
ProPublica reports that these trips would have cost tens of thousands of dollars but they do not appear on Thomas’ financial disclosures.
Ethics experts told the outlet that Thomas violated the normal conduct of judges by accepting the trips and potentially violated the law by failing to disclose them on his annual financial records.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called for Thomas’ impeachment after the report. Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), said the report was “a call to action” and that “the Senate Judiciary Committee will act,” according to CNN.
In a statement to ProPublica, Crow said that he has been friends with Thomas and his wife Ginni for more than 30 years, and that the hospitality he has extended them over the years was “no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends.”
