Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is once again facing renewed scrutiny amid details about undisclosed trips he took with GOP mega-donor Harlan Crow.
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee last week released documents showing Thomas failed to disclose three trips he took aboard Crow’s private jet in 2017, 2019, and 2021. According to Sen. Dick Durbin, the flights were gifted to Thomas.
Thomas also recently amended his 2019 financial disclosure to include two vacations paid for by Crow, according to ProPublica, that year to Indonesia and the Bohemian Grove, an exclusive gentleman’s club in Monte Rio, California. ProPublica first reported on the undisclosed trips last year.
The justice has defended the missing disclosures, saying he was advised that disclosing hospitality gifts from people who had no business before the court was unnecessary.
Thomas and Crow have been friends for more than thirty years. Both have said they don’t talk about politics or legal cases together, but legal experts and lawmakers have expressed ethics concerns that Crow could have an influence on Thomas, a sitting member of the most powerful court in the country.
Michael Zona, a spokesperson for Crow, told BI the billionaire provided information relevant to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s requests going back seven years.
“Despite his serious and continued concerns about the legality and necessity of the inquiry, Mr. Crow engaged in good faith negotiations with the Committee from the beginning to resolve the matter,” the statement said. “As a condition of this agreement, the Committee agreed to end its probe with respect to Mr. Crow.”
An attorney for Thomas, Elliot S. Berke, told Business Insider the vacation information Crow provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee falls under the “personal hospitality exemption,” which means it did not need to be disclosed.
“The Judicial Conference changed this provision last year, and Justice Thomas has fully complied with the new disclosure requirement,” Berke said.
The Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.
May 2017: Montana trip
On May 7, 2017, Thomas traveled on Crow’s private jet from St. Louis to Kalispell, Montana, a small mountain town known as a gateway to Glacier National Park.
According to documents released by Senate Democrats last week, the Montana excursion is among the three previously unknown trips that Thomas failed to disclose.
It remains unclear what Thomas was doing in Montana; BI could not identify any public appearances the justice made in the state at that time.
On May 9, 2017, Crow’s jet left Montana for Dallas, where the billionaire resides. Beyond the flight on Crow’s jet, it’s unclear how much of the trip Crow paid for.
July 2017: Camp Topridge in upstate New York
ProPublica reported last year that Thomas has vacationed at Crow’s lakeside resort, Camp Topridge, nearly every year for the last two decades. The secluded property is located in the Adirondacks in upstate New York and is only accessible by invitation from the billionaire himself.
According to the outlet, Topridge guests are treated to meals prepared by private chefs, guided fishing experiences, and private concerts.
During a July 2017 Topridge trip, Thomas and Crow were joined by an array of corporate leaders and political activists, including major Republican donors and executives from Verizon and PricewaterhouseCoopers, ProPublica reported.
Thomas even appears in a painting hung at the resort, which shows the Supreme Court justice conversing with conservative legal activist Leonard Leo, according to the outlet.
Chris Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images
March 2019: Savannah, Georgia
Thomas’s quick round trip to his hometown of Savannah, Georgia, was the second undisclosed trip revealed last week. It wasn’t clear what Thomas was doing in Georgia, but he still has family members living there, including his mother.
July 2019: Bali, Indonesia
Thomas and Crow’s 2019 Bali vacation was the centerpiece of ProPublica’s original 2023 report. Although first reported last year, disclosure details about the Indonesia trip were included in recently amended financial disclosure forms and the Judiciary Committee’s report.
According to ProPublica, Thomas and his wife, Ginni Thomas, spent nine days vacationing with Crow and others as they sightsaw on several islands and spent time on the billionaire’s 162-foot superyacht, the Michaela Rose.
July 2019: Bohemian Grove, California
Thomas amended past filings to include a 2019 vacation he took with Crow to Bohemian Grove, an exclusive, all-male club in Monte Rio, California.
ProPublica previously reported on Thomas’ trips to the gentleman’s retreat. The club’s prestigious alumni include US presidents, military officials, artists, and top business leaders.
June 2021: Northern California
On June 29, 2021, Thomas traveled from Washington, DC, to San Jose, California, aboard Crow’s jet, The Washington Post reported. He returned to DC the same day. The reason for the trip remains unknown.
Getty Images
July 2022: Camp Topridge (again)
On July 7, 2022, Thomas again boarded Crow’s plane to travel to Camp Topridge — possibly for his annual summer vacation at his billionaire buddy’s hideaway, ProPublica reported last year.
Other suspected trips
ProPublica said Thomas cruised through New Zealand aboard Crow’s superyacht roughly a decade ago. The outlet reported that the Supreme Court Justice also boarded the Michaela Rose for a river cruise around Savannah, Georgia. A photo of Thomas donning an embroidered shirt referencing a 2007 trip through the Greek Islands suggests the justice may have also vacationed in the Mediterranean.
Thomas has also made frequent use of Crow’s private jet for quick day trips and business travel, according to media reports.
