US Supreme Court justice justifies scandal as 'personal hospitality'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Apr 2023 22:23

Justice Clarence Thomas claims hospitality "from close personal friends" didn’t have to be reported.

An undated photo of Justice Clarence Thomas (AP)

Justice Clarence Thomas of the US Supreme Court defended himself on Friday in response to claims that he accepted years' worth of opulent trips from a Republican billionaire, claiming that such "personal hospitality" was exempt from registration.

Steadfast conservative Thomas was a guest of megadonor Harlan Crow for yachting in New Zealand, private jet flights across the world, and frequent stays at Crow's residences in the United States, as per ProPublica.

The news organization estimated that Thomas, 74, the court's senior justice, took one trip to Indonesia that would have cost $500,000.

Thomas claimed that it was previously "advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable."

The rules were being modified at the time, and he continued, "Of course, it is my intention to follow this guidance going forward."

ProPublica, citing interviews and photographs, and other documents, eviscerated how Thomas had joined Crow for trips to an exclusive all-male wilderness resort in California and at Crow's private houses in Texas and New York state over 20 years.

Crow told ProPublica on Thursday that he often hosted "dear friends" and that the two had never tackled pending cases.

According to ProPublica, Crow has given more than $10 million to Republican political organizations, including half a million dollars to a conservative lobbying group founded by Thomas' wife Ginni Thomas.

Ginni Thomas' role in politics has come under question due to rumors that she assisted Donald Trump in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Some judges and Democratic legislators expressed outrage over the ProPublica disclosures, and legal reform organizations demanded major changes to the way the Supreme Court is run.