Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has disclosed two trips from 2019 funded by Texas billionaire Harlan Crow, sparking renewed scrutiny over the ethics of such arrangements. These revelations were part of the financial disclosures released for eight of the nine justices, highlighting a mix of additional incomes and gifts received in 2023.
The 2019 trips included visits to Bali, Indonesia, and a private club in California. This is the first time Thomas has reported these trips, despite previous investigations by ProPublica. The reports reveal that Crow covered food and lodging expenses for these vacations. Thomas claims these omissions were inadvertent and has amended the record accordingly.
Harlan Crow, a significant Republican donor, has been a longtime friend and benefactor of Thomas. The association between Thomas and Crow has drawn considerable criticism, especially after reports of undisclosed luxury vacations and private jet travel. Thomas maintains that he has complied with ethics guidelines, which were clarified recently, necessitating such disclosures for travel from 2022 onwards.
The financial disclosures also shed light on the additional incomes of other justices. Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Ketanji Brown Jackson reported six-figure book payments. Jackson notably received nearly $4,000 worth of tickets from Beyoncé and two art pieces valued at $12,500 for her chambers.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor appeared as a character on the PBS children’s show “Alma’s Way,” earning about $1,900 for her voice work. The justices also earned income from teaching positions and accepted free travel to speak at events.
Justice Samuel Alito received a 90-day extension to file his report, a routine extension he has received in past years. Alito, alongside Thomas, has faced scrutiny for accepting luxury travel without initial disclosure.
The issue of transparency and ethics in the Supreme Court has become more pressing in recent years. ProPublica’s reports on Thomas’s relationship with Crow have intensified the focus on the justices’ outside activities. Last year, Thomas disclosed Crow’s purchase of three properties from his family, years after the transactions took place.
Democratic lawmakers and transparency advocates have called for a review of Thomas’s reporting practices. They argue that his actions might violate the Ethics in Government Act. A committee is currently examining these allegations.
Despite the scrutiny, Thomas insists that he consulted with an accountant and ethics counsel in filing his report. However, Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, questioned Thomas’s transparency. Roth pointed out that the justice failed to disclose private jet and yacht travel in Indonesia, which ProPublica estimated cost over $500,000.
Under new ethics guidelines, justices must provide a “good faith estimate of the fair market value” of their travel. This rule change aims to enhance transparency, especially after recent controversies involving justices’ private travel and luxury vacations.
Chief Justice John Roberts earns an annual salary of $312,200, while associate justices each earn $298,500. Justices are limited to earning no more than $32,000 annually from outside work, though book payments are exempt from this cap. This has allowed justices to secure lucrative contracts with publishers. Kavanaugh received $340,000 for an upcoming legal memoir, Jackson received an $893,750 advance for her memoir “Lovely One,” and Gorsuch earned $250,000 in royalties for a book set to release in August.
These disclosures underscore the ongoing debate about the ethical obligations of Supreme Court justices. The judiciary’s new code of conduct, adopted last fall, aims to address these issues, but skepticism remains due to the lack of an enforcement mechanism. As the public continues to scrutinize the financial activities of justices, the pressure for greater transparency and accountability grows.
