Clarence Thomas defends luxury vacations paid for by billionaire Republican donor
On Thursday, April 6, the U.S. Supreme Court suffered even more bad publicity when ProPublica published a bombshell report showing that "for over 20 years," Justice Clarence Thomas has "been treated to luxury vacations by billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow" — and that he failed to disclose that information.
In response to the report, progressive Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York City called for Thomas' impeachment. And Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) responded by calling for an "enforceable code of conduct" for High Court justices.
Thomas has issued an official statement on ProPublica's report, defending the trips and claiming that they were "not reportable." The far-right justice said, "Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over 25 years. As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them."
Thomas continued, "Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable. I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines."
The justice added, however, that "these guidelines" are "now being changed" and said he plans to "follow this guidance in the future."
The justice's statement followed scathing criticism from Ocasio-Cortez and others. In a scathing tweet, the Bronx/Queens congresswoman said of Thomas, "This is beyond party or partisanship. This degree of corruption is shocking — almost cartoonish. Thomas must be impeached. Barring some dramatic change, this is what the Roberts Court will be known for: rank corruption, erosion of democracy, and the stripping of human rights."
