Recent findings have brought to light further instances of unreported luxury travel gifts received by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. These revelations, stemming from documents obtained by the Senate Judiciary Committee, intensify scrutiny over judicial ethics and the pressing need for enforceable conduct standards for the highest court in the United States.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-IL) released information exposing previously undisclosed gifts of private jet travel extended to Justice Thomas by billionaire Harlan Crow. This information, which Justice Thomas failed to include in his financial disclosures, underscores ongoing concerns about transparency and ethical accountability within the Supreme Court. The disclosure comes despite a recent amendment to Justice Thomas’s 2019 financial report, which already aimed to address previous omissions. A comprehensive report from the Senate Judiciary Committee on its Supreme Court ethics investigation is anticipated later this summer.
Documents obtained following a subpoena authorization issued to Harlan Crow in November 2023 revealed several instances of luxury travel that Justice Thomas had not disclosed. These include:
- Private jet travel in May 2017: round trip from St. Louis, MO, to Kalispell, MT, and onward to Dallas, TX.
- Private jet travel in March 2019: round trip from Washington, DC, to Savannah, GA.
- Private jet travel in June 2021: round trip from Washington, DC, to San Jose, CA.
Alt text: Senator Dick Durbin, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, addresses the press, emphasizing the critical need for Supreme Court ethics reform.
These newly uncovered trips are in addition to the already disclosed, yet still initially unreported, July 2019 Indonesia trip, which included an eight-day yacht excursion and private jet travel to Santa Rosa, California. Crow’s documents have also introduced inconsistencies regarding the dates of the 2019 Indonesia trip, further casting doubt on the accuracy and completeness of Justice Thomas’s amended disclosures.
Reports indicate that Justice Thomas has accepted gifts valued at approximately $4.2 million over two decades on the Court. This sum is nearly ten times greater than the total value of gifts received by all other Supreme Court justices combined during the same period, highlighting the exceptional scale of gifts accepted by Justice Thomas.
Senator Durbin stated, “Nearly $4.2 million in gifts and even that wasn’t enough for Justice Thomas, with at least three additional trips the Committee found that he has failed to disclose to date. The Senate Judiciary Committee’s ongoing investigation into the Supreme Court’s ethical crisis is producing new information—like what we’ve revealed today—and makes it crystal clear that the highest court needs an enforceable code of conduct, because its members continue to choose not to meet the moment.”
Alt text: Redacted legal documents from Harlan Crow detailing undisclosed gifts of travel to Justice Clarence Thomas, part of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation into Supreme Court ethics.
Durbin emphasized that the investigation and subpoena authorization are crucial for providing the American public with transparency regarding ethical lapses within the Supreme Court and the urgent requirement for ethics reform. He criticized Chief Justice Roberts for not implementing an enforceable code of conduct despite growing ethical concerns and declining public approval of the court. Durbin reiterated the push for the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act to be enacted into law.
Despite Justice Thomas’s ongoing failure to retroactively disclose private jet and yacht travel in his amended financial reports, existing financial disclosure statutes clearly mandate the reporting of transportation gifts. The exception for “personal hospitality” is explicitly limited to “food, lodging, or entertainment.”
Documentation of Justice Thomas’s previously undisclosed trips is publicly accessible, underscoring the commitment to transparency by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Durbin has consistently advocated for the passage of the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act. This legislation, advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee in July, aims to establish a binding code of conduct for Supreme Court justices, create mechanisms for investigating potential violations, enhance transparency regarding justices’ connections to parties or amici before the Court, and require justifications for recusal decisions to be made public.
Earlier, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats sought unanimous consent for the Senate to pass the SCERT Act, but this request was blocked by Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans.
Senator Durbin has been advocating for an enforceable code of conduct for the Supreme Court for over a decade, with his initial formal call to Chief Justice Roberts dating back more than twelve years.
For a comprehensive overview of Senator Durbin’s and the Senate Judiciary Committee’s efforts to advance Supreme Court ethics reform and their ongoing investigation into the ethical challenges facing the Supreme Court, resources including a timeline, releases, correspondence, and information on the SCERT Act are available online.
