On Oct. 7, 2022, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, at left, speaks to Chief Justice John Roberts in the group photo of the Supreme Court.
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Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice, speaks to Chief Justice John Roberts, during the formal group photo at the Supreme Court of Washington, D.C., in October, 2022.
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Justice Clarence Thomas, who has been the subject of scrutiny over vacations and other gifts he received from conservative billionaire Harlan Crow, reported additional trips paid for by Crow in 2022 in newly released financial disclosure forms.
Here’s what’s new in the disclosure:
Thomas had gone to Dallas in February 2022 to be the keynote speaker at a talk sponsored by three conservative organizations, but flew back on Crow’s private jet “due to an unexpected ice storm. “
- The talk was rescheduled for May, and Thomas took a roundtrip on Crow’s private jet “because of increased security risk following the
- Dobbs opinion leak,” which overturned Roe v. Wade.In July, Thomas traveled to Crow’s resort in the Adirondacks for vacation.
- Thomas also said he “inadvertently omitted” information in previous disclosure reports, including a life insurance policy for his wife worth $100,000, and a bank account that had less than $70,000 in 2018. Thomas also revealed details about a real estate transaction involving Crow, Thomas’s family members and Crow. Crow paid $133,000 to purchase three homes in Georgia including the one where Thomas’ mother lives. The justice and his wife “had put between $50,000 and $75,000 in his mother’s house over the years in capital improvements, so the transaction amounted a capital loss.” Thomas was told by staff of the committee to remove properties from his forms as they “no long generated any rental income.” But he “inadvertently failed to realize that the ‘sales transaction’ for the final disposition of the three properties triggered a new reportable transaction in 2014, even though this sale resulted in a capital loss,” the disclosure said.
- Separately, Justice Samuel Alito also released his 2022 disclosure form Thursday. He said that he had traveled to Rome, Italy in 2022 in order to deliver a speech at a Religious Liberty Summit. The Religious Liberty Initiative at Notre Dame Law School paid for Alito’s travel, accommodation and meals. Alito revealed that he received $9,000 for teaching at Regent University School of Law, and $20250 for teaching at Duke Law School. ProPublica reported in this year that Thomas and Ginni Thomas went on lavish travels around the world for at least two decades. Crow also paid for the tuition of Thomas’ grandson and purchased properties owned by Thomas. Thomas failed to disclose any of these things, as required by the federal Ethics in Government Act that applies to all federal courts, including Supreme Court Justices. ProPublica reported that Alito also failed to disclose that, thanks to hedge fund titan Paul Singer – a major Republican contributor who has been involved with 10 appeals before the Supreme Court – he enjoyed a high-end, all-expenses paid fishing trip in Alaska, including private jet travel. In a statement accompanying Thursday’s disclosure, a lawyer for Thomas said there had been “no willful ethics transgressions” and called prior reporting errors “strictly inadvertent.” “