U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been accused of hiding more private flights that he received from conservative billionaire Harlan Crow.
These allegations against Thomas have been made by Senator Ron Wyden, a top Democrat who also happens to be the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
Clarence Thomas’ Undisclosed Gifts
For the last few years, Thomas has found himself in an increasing amount of controversy after it was revealed that he had accepted various gifts and travels from wealthy donor Crow.
Critics pounced on Thomas when this was revealed, as Thomas hadn’t disclosed any of the gifts that he received. Many have worried that the acceptance of these gifts are ethical issues.
New Undisclosed Travels
Now, Wyden has accused Justice Thomas of failing to publicly disclose even more private travels and trips that he received from Crow.
In a letter, Wyden has explained that Thomas has not revealed that he and his wife, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, took a round trip from Hawaii to New Zealand in 2010 on Crow’s private jet.
An Investigation Into Crow
This latest revelation has come about after Wyden has opened up an investigation into Crow and Thomas’ relationship.
This letter by Wyden was directed to Crow’s lawyer, asking for more details about the financial relationship between the Supreme Court justice and the billionaire.
Wyden Remains Concerned
In this letter, Wyden wrote that he is very concerned about what these many gifts and trips between Thomas and Crow may suggest.
He wrote, “I am deeply concerned that Mr. Crow may have been showering a public official with extravagant gifts, then writing off those gifts to lower his tax bill.”
Crow’s Response
A spokesman for Crow has already responded, stating that the donor has always followed tax law.
This spokesman also suggested that Wyden was politically motivated to undermine the Supreme Court and Thomas, saying they have “already addressed Senator Wyden’s inquiries, which have no legal basis and are only intended to harass a private citizen.”
Why Thomas Didn’t Disclose Travels and Gifts
Thomas hasn’t yet revealed why he hasn’t disclosed this latest private jet travel from 2010.
However, in the past, when discussing these many accusations against him, Thomas insinuated that he didn’t need to disclose anything that was from friends and their own personal hospitality.
Thomas Has Amended Disclosures
After some of this recent controversy, Thomas amended some financial disclosures to show when he received some personal gifts and travels.
However, Wyden pointed out that Thomas didn’t add this 2010 trip, writing, “To date, Justice Thomas has never disclosed this private jet travel on any financial disclosure forms, even though Justice Thomas has amended disclosures to reflect other international travel on Mr. Crow’s private jet.”
Reforming the Supreme Court
This latest revelation comes as many Democratic lawmakers have worked to bring reform to the Supreme Court.
Democrats have long called out the conservative majority court, especially once Thomas’ extravagant gifts and travels — all of which he never disclosed — became public.
Other Supreme Court Controversies
Thomas isn’t the only justice who has faced an awful lot of controversy in recent years. Justice Samuel Alito has also been called out by many, as he was caught flying controversial flags at two of his homes.
An upside-down flag was seen outside his Virginia home during President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration, while an “Appeal to Heaven” flag was seen outside his vacation home. Both flags were flown during the January 6 attack on the capitol.
Biden Wants Reform
Democratic lawmakers aren’t the only ones who want to see some reform of the Supreme Court.
Biden has recently proposed various reforms that the court could undergo, such as required ethics regulations and term limits.
Thomas Faces Impeachment
Thomas and Alito both face articles of impeachment filed by House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
However, neither justice will likely be impeached, as the House currently has a Republican majority.
