Washington, DC – Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently disclosed two trips taken with Republican megadonor Harlan Crow in 2019, as revealed in his financial disclosure report for 2023 made public on Friday. The report, filed by Thomas in May, included an amendment to his 2019 disclosure form to account for two trips he took with Crow in July of that year. The first trip to Bali listed Thomas as a guest of Harlan and Kathy Crow, with the justice reporting receiving food and lodging at a hotel.
The second trip, to Monte Rio, California, spanning three days in July 2019, similarly listed Thomas as a guest of Crow’s with food and lodging provided at a private club. The information regarding these trips was initially omitted at the time of filing but has now been rectified in Thomas’ latest annual disclosure form, where it is mentioned that the justice sought and received guidance from his accountant and ethics counsel during the preparation of the 2023 report.
Alongside Thomas, financial disclosure reports for eight out of the nine sitting justices were released to the public on Friday. Justice Samuel Alito was granted a 90-day extension to file his disclosure, as reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. The reports revealed that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson received four concert tickets from singer Beyoncé valued at $3,711, as well as artwork for her chambers totaling $12,500. Thomas reported receiving two photo albums worth $2,000.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh did not receive any gifts in the preceding year, as indicated in their reports. The disclosures also showed that several justices received income from book royalties and other projects. Sotomayor amassed over $86,000 in royalties from publisher Penguin Random House and nearly $2,000 from a production company for her appearance on the PBS show “Alma’s Way.”
Thomas, an honorary board member for the Horatio Alger Association, and Sotomayor, governing director of iCivics, showcased their various external positions in the reports. Kavanaugh, on the other hand, served as a coach for a girls’ basketball team per his disclosure. The annual financial disclosures submitted to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts delineate a justice’s outside engagements, income, reimbursements, gifts, and investments from the prior year.
The relationship between Justice Thomas and Crow, coupled with gifts and real estate dealings, stirred political controversy over ethics practices at the Supreme Court. This culminated in calls for a binding code of conduct to be adopted by the nation’s highest court. The Senate Judiciary Committee launched an investigation into the matter and pushed for legislation mandating an enforceable ethics code for the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court initiated a formal code of conduct in November, albeit without a mechanism for enforcement, further intensifying public scrutiny of the justices. The controversies surrounding the ethical practices of the Supreme Court justices continue to draw attention and debate on the need for greater transparency and accountability within the judiciary.
