A ProPublica investigation, April 6, 2023, by Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski revealed that for the last 20 years, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted luxury vacations from billionaire Harlan Crow without listing them in his financial disclosures. Crow has been active in promoting conservative causes. Crow’s law firm has not had a Supreme Court case when Thomas has been on the bench, and Crow said he has never tried to influence his friend on any legal or political issue.
Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern in SLATE, April 6, 2023, write that Thomas’ failure to disclose some of the gifts violated the law but lacking enforcement procedures, there is scant possibility he will be held accountable. The guidelines allow justices to accept “personal hospitality,” and the guidelines defines hospitality at a personal residence. There is no room for justifying the lending of a private jet.
A Wall Street Journal editorial called the ProPublica story a “non-bombshell” and said the report was inconsequential as shown by its loaded words and phrases including “superyacht,” “luxury trips,” “elegant accommodation,” and “opulent ledge” that disguise its lack of substance. Without addressing the evidence and the ethical issues, the editorial railed against the “liberal press” and its “ugly politics.” (Poynter, April 1O, 2023, by Tom Jones)