Senate Panel Finds Thomas Accepted More Trips Funded by Harlan Crow

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin revealed that the committee has discovered three additional trips Justice Clarence Thomas took courtesy of GOP megadonor Harlan Crow as part of an ethics investigation into the Supreme Court.

Durbin, D-Ill., disclosed on Thursday that information obtained from Crow shows Thomas traveled on Crow’s private jet at least three times, including six flights in 2017, 2019, and 2021. There were also indications of private jet travel to Indonesia and California, which Thomas recently disclosed in a financial report amendment from 2019.

The Judiciary panel, led by Democrats, initiated the investigation after reports surfaced that Thomas had been accepting undisclosed lavish gifts, such as international travel, from Crow for years. The committee has been urging the Supreme Court to implement a stricter ethics code as revelations of trips taken by Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito emerged, along with lucrative book deals received by other justices.

Durbin emphasized, “The new information underscores the urgent need for the highest court to have an enforceable code of conduct, as its members consistently fail to act appropriately,” in a statement.

The Supreme Court has not yet responded to the Senate report. Previously, Thomas has defended his actions, claiming he did not need to disclose the trips taken with Crow, as Crow and his wife Kathy are considered close friends.

In April 2023, Thomas stated that he was advised by fellow justices and other federal judiciary members that the hospitality he received from personal friends like Crow, who had no business with the Court, did not need to be reported.

Thomas and his wife, Virginia, reportedly traveled on Crow’s yacht and private jet in Indonesia, as well as stayed at his private resort in New York. According to ProPublica, these trips could have cost more than $500,000 if Thomas had arranged them himself.

Recently, Thomas acknowledged that Crow paid for a hotel room in Bali in 2019 and for accommodations at a private club in California the same year. However, he did not disclose the flights or the yacht stay funded by Crow.

Crow’s office released a statement following the release of the Judiciary panel’s report, stating that despite concerns about the inquiry’s legality and necessity, Crow agreed to provide information dating back seven years in response to the committee’s requests. The panel had previously authorized a subpoena for Crow as part of the investigation, against objections from Republican committee members.

Crow, a prominent GOP donor from Dallas, has maintained that he has never discussed court matters with Thomas.

Durbin shared some details from the report, including a 2017 trip Thomas took on Crow’s jet from St. Louis to Montana, and return flights to and from Dallas; round trip private jet travel to Savannah, Georgia in 2019, and to San Jose, California in 2021.

The committee also uncovered evidence of private jet travel for the 2019 Indonesia trip, as well as documentation of the eight-day yacht excursion.

While the justices did adopt an ethics code in November, Democrats argue that it lacks enforcement mechanisms. They point out that the code categorizes travel, food, and lodging as expenses rather than gifts, without requiring specific monetary values to be reported.

Since last year, justices must disclose private plane travel they receive. However, Thomas has chosen not to report trips taken before these rules were put in place.