Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is under fire for failing to publicly disclose additional travel on GOP megadonor Harlan Crow's private jet. A top Democratic senator, Sen. Ron Wyden, has initiated an inquiry into Thomas' undisclosed luxury travel, including a round-trip flight between Hawaii and New Zealand in November 2010.
According to international flight records, Thomas and his wife, Virginia, took the private jet trip, raising concerns about potential ethics violations. Wyden, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has demanded further information about private jet and superyacht trips, expressing worries that Crow may have been providing extravagant gifts to Thomas to lower his tax bill.
A spokesman for Crow has denied any wrongdoing, stating that all actions were in compliance with tax laws and criticizing Wyden's inquiries as politically motivated. The Senate Judiciary Committee has also uncovered additional undisclosed trips taken by Thomas, including visits to Indonesia and California.
The scrutiny on Thomas comes amidst a broader push for changes to the high court's ethics rules. Democrats, led by President Joe Biden, are seeking to address ethical concerns surrounding Supreme Court justices, such as undisclosed trips taken by Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito.
Justice Elena Kagan has expressed support for an enforceable ethics code for the court, while Justice Neil Gorsuch has refrained from commenting on proposed ethics and term limit reforms. Thomas, who maintains that the trips were personal hospitality from a friend without business before the court, did not list the flights on his 2010 financial disclosure form.
The recent revelations shed light on the complexities of ethics oversight within the Supreme Court and raise questions about transparency and accountability among its members. As the debate over ethics rules continues, the public and lawmakers alike are closely monitoring the actions of the highest court in the land.
