Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has acknowledged previously taking unpublicized foreign trips paid for by his friend, conservative businessman Harlan Crow.
One of the trips in 2019 was to Bali, where the Justice was accompanied by his wife, Virginia. Another trip paid for by Crow was to Sonoma County, California.
Thomas on Friday released his revised 2023 financial disclosure form — required of all federal judges — which includes those past trips. Not disclosed the 2019 report said.
“In the course of preparing and filing this report, the Filer sought and received guidance from its accountant and ethics advisor,” the filing said.
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This was said by Justice Clarence Thomas at the Supreme Court during the swearing-in ceremony of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. (Photo: Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post, Getty Images)
“Consistent with the review of prior filings made by the filer in the previous year, the report for calendar year 2019 is amended to include the following entries under the Reimbursement section, which were inadvertently omitted at the time of filing:
- Source: Harlan and Kathy Crow Dates: July 12, 2019 Location: Bali, Indonesia Purpose: Guests of the source Items paid or provided: Meals and accommodations at hotels
- Source: Harlan Crow Dates: July 18-21, 2019 Location: Monte Rio, CA Purpose: Guest of the source Items paid for or provided: Meals and lodging at the private club.”
Thomas’s holidays were first documented in April 2023. issued a rare statement At that time he had defended his travels and said that he had always followed the guidelines of the Supreme Court.
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Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas delivers a speech at the Heritage Foundation on October 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Justice, who has been on the judgeship for 32 years, said in a statement at the time, “Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over twenty-five years.”
“As friends, we have accompanied him on many family visits. We have known him for over 25 years over that time. Early in my tenure on the Court, I sought guidance from colleagues and others in the judiciary and was advised that such personal hospitality from close personal friends who had nothing to do with the Court was not reportable,” Thomas said.
“I have attempted to follow that advice throughout my tenure, and have always attempted to follow the disclosure guidelines,” he said. “These guidelines are now being changed, as the Judicial Conference committee responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary announced new guidelines just last month. And, of course, my intention is to follow this guidance in the future.”
Seven other justices released their financial reports on Friday. Only Samuel Alito did not issue one, but he was given a 90-day extension.
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Supreme Court Judges posing for an official photo at the Supreme Court. (Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)
In November, the Supreme Court issued a new “code of conduct” after months of intense scrutiny from Senate Judiciary Democrats who pushed for new ethics laws for the high court.
The code is a set of five “principles,” including two new principles that appear to be in response to reports about travel arrangements for private trips made by Justices Thomas and Samuel Alito, paid for by others, and the use of court staff for book promotion — a reference to a recent report that Justice Sonia Sotomore’s staff urged colleges and libraries to buy her latest book.
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The code states, “No judge shall use judicial chambers, resources, or staff for any activity that does not materially support official functions or other activities permitted under these principles.”
“Judges may accept reasonable compensation and reimbursement of expenses for permitted activities if the source of the payment does not appear to influence the judge’s official duties or be otherwise improper,” the rules state.
The new code states, “Expense reimbursement shall be limited to the actual or reasonably estimated costs of travel, meals and lodging reasonably borne by the judge and, where appropriate, by the judge’s spouse or relative.”
The code also states that, “all judges have for some time agreed to comply with the law governing financial disclosure, and the signatory members of the Court individually reaffirm that commitment.”
