Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas received undisclosed trips from GOP megadonor Harlan Crow, according to documents released by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. These trips, which included private jet travel in 2017, 2019, and 2021, were not listed in Thomas’ financial disclosure forms.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., highlighted the need for ethics reform, stating, “We are providing the American public greater clarity on the extent of ethical lapses by Supreme Court justices.”
The documents came to light after Republicans blocked a Democrat-led attempt to pass Supreme Court ethics legislation. Crow’s office confirmed an agreement with the Judiciary Committee to provide information spanning seven years, despite questioning the legality of the inquiry.
Justice Thomas’ attorney, Elliot S. Berke, defended Thomas, stating the trips fell under the “personal hospitality exemption” and were not required to be disclosed. Berke added that Thomas has complied with the updated disclosure requirements set by the Judicial Conference last year.
Thomas recently acknowledged two trips with Crow in 2019, previously reported by ProPublica. The Judiciary Committee plans to release a report on Supreme Court ethics this summer.
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