Thomas Took 2 More Undisclosed Flights Funded By Billionaire

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's extensive travel, funded by Republican donor Harlan Crow, encompassed an additional two flights on the billionaire's private jet that were not previously disclosed, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote to Crow's attorney on Monday. Wyden, chair of the Finance Committee, wrote that he is seeking additional information about travel that Crow provided to the justice and additional records because he is concerned that Crow might have improperly used the gifts to lower his tax bills, a claim Crow denies, the Washington Post reports. The two flights add to a long list of travel and other perks Thomas has received from Crow, including private school tuition for a relative and the purchase of the home where Thomas’s mother lived in Georgia. The largesse and other ethics controversies swirling around the court prompted President Biden to propose a binding ethics code and 18-year term limits for the justices, a package of overhauls that has little chance of passing Congress any time soon.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents show Thomas and his wife, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, traveled round-trip from Hawaii to New Zealand aboard Crow’s private jet in November 2010. Crow was aboard. Wyden wrote that Thomas did not list the flights in financial disclosure forms that Supreme Court justices are required to file, even though he has previously amended the forms to include other travel aboard Crow’s jet. Thomas has said disclosure rules at the time of the travel did not require him to report the flights because they fell under a “personal hospitality” exemption. Justices are now required to report such travel. Michael Zona, a spokesman for Crow, said Wyden’s inquiries are “intended to harass a private citizen” and that Congress has no role in tax enforcement. “Mr. Crow and his businesses are in good standing with the IRS,” Zona said. “He has always followed applicable tax law as advised by national accounting firms who serve as his tax advisors. It’s concerning that Senator Wyden is abusing his committee’s powers as part of a politically motivated campaign against the Supreme Court.”