Topline
The Senate Judiciary Committee announced Thursday it “will act” on a report that alleges Supreme Court Justice has received undisclosed gifts from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow for more than 20 years, which also renewed a call for an enforceable code of conduct for justices.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will probe a report alleging Justice Clarence Thomas did not disclose … [+]
Key Facts
The ProPublica report reveals behavior that is “simply inconsistent with the ethical standards” of a Supreme Court Justice, committee chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in a statement Thursday, adding the report “is a call to action.”
Durbin said the report “demonstrates, yet again,” that Supreme Court justices should be held to an enforceable code of conduct similar to what federal judges abide by.
Durbin called for the introduction of the “Supreme Court Ethics Act” in February, which would have created a code of ethical conduct for the court in an effort to close an “inexcusable ‘Supreme Court loophole’”—though a code has been discussed at the court for years, according to the Washington Post.
Thomas stayed at Crow’s private resort in the Adirondacks “every summer for more than two decades,” makes “regular use” of Crow’s private jet and has vacationed with Crow on his superyacht, but did not disclose these trips as required, according to ProPublica.
Though Supreme Court justices are not bound to the same code of ethics as lower federal court judges are, they do submit financial disclosures and are subject to laws that require them to disclose gifts more than $415 in value, including any transportation that substitutes for commercial transport.
Crow said in a statement to ProPublica that he and his wife “have never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue,” while Thomas did not respond to a list of questions.
Crucial Quote
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called out Thomas and said his behavior outlined in the ProPublica report is “outrageous,” adding “it’s time to pass the Supreme Court Ethics Act.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) suggested Thomas be impeached and that “this degree of corruption is shocking—almost cartoonish.”
Key Background
Thomas’ relationship with Crow—a real estate magnate and Republican megadonor—raises additional ethical questions surrounding the justice, who has found himself at the center of controversy in recent years. Thomas’ wife Ginni reportedly helped efforts to overturn the 2020 election while her husband considered cases on it, sparking calls from Democrats for him to resign. Thomas has been linked to Crow in the past, after the New York Times raised concerns in 2011 about gifts Crow gave to Thomas. Politico reported that Crow gifted Thomas a $19,000 bible and donated $150,000 to a library in Savannah, Georgia, named for the justice.
Further Reading
Clarence Thomas Has Reportedly Been Accepting Gifts From Republican Megadonor Harlan Crow For Decades—And Never Disclosed It (Forbes)
Clarence Thomas And The Billionaire (ProPublica)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/04/06/senate-judiciary-will-act-on-ethics-questions-about-clarence-thomas-top-democrat-says/