GOP billionaire purchased property from Justice Clarence Thomas: Report

WASHINGTON – A GOP megadonor bought three Georgia properties from Supreme Courtroom Justice Clarence Thomas and members of his household in 2014, a transaction that Thomas failed to notice on his annual disclosure varieties, in line with a report Thursday.

The acquisition by Texas billionaire Harlan Crow, reported by ProPublica, marks the second time in as many weeks Thomas has come below scrutiny for his ties to Crow. Thomas and his spouse, Ginni, have accepted luxurious journeys for years paid for by Crow, together with worldwide journey on his personal jet and yacht, ProPublica reported final week.

The developments have heaped stress on the Supreme Courtroom to undertake extra sturdy ethics necessities to keep away from potential conflicts of curiosity. Congressional Democrats and a number of other exterior teams have referred to as on Chief Justice John Roberts to research.

The Supreme Courtroom didn’t reply to a request for remark Thursday.

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ProPublica reported Thursday that an organization owned by Crow spent $133,363 to buy property in Savannah owned by Thomas, his mom and the household of Thomas’ late brother. The corporate then started work on tens of 1000’s of {dollars} of renovations on a house during which the justice’s mom was nonetheless dwelling.
Thomas did not disclose the transaction, in line with ProPublica, regardless of a federal legislation that requires officers to make word of real-estate gross sales in extra of $1,000.

The revelation comes days after ProPublica reported Thomas, a Georgia native, had accepted lavish journeys paid for by Crow, together with a 2019 journey to Indonesia that will have value Thomas greater than $500,000. The justice additionally didn’t disclose these journeys.

What have Thomas, Crow mentioned in regards to the transactions?

Thomas, who was appointed to the Supreme Courtroom by President George H.W. Bush, didn’t instantly reply to the most recent report. Final week, in response to the preliminary story about his journey, Thomas mentioned he was “suggested that this kind of private hospitality from shut private associates, who didn’t have enterprise earlier than the courtroom, was not reportable.”

“I’ve endeavored to comply with that counsel all through my tenure,” Thomas mentioned in an announcement, “and have at all times sought to adjust to the disclosure pointers.”

Ethics and authorized consultants advised USA TODAY final week that the disclosure necessities are imprecise in the case of journey. Whereas the justices are required to report presents they’ve obtained on their annual monetary disclosure stories, an exemption is allowed for hospitality from associates. However that exemption wouldn’t apply to actual property gross sales.

In an announcement to ProPublica in regards to the property, Crow mentioned he bought the home Thomas’ mom lives in to protect it.

“My intention is to sooner or later create a public museum on the Thomas house devoted to telling the story of our nation’s second black Supreme Courtroom justice,” Crow mentioned. “I approached the Thomas household about my want to keep up this historic website so future generations might be taught in regards to the inspiring lifetime of considered one of our best Individuals.”

Response to the most recent revelations about Thomas’ ties to Crow

A number of teams which can be important of the Supreme Courtroom swiftly weighed in to query the propriety of the transaction and the legality of Thomas’ failure to reveal it.

“The one one who doesn’t suppose Clarence Thomas abused the facility of his workplace is Clarence Thomas,” mentioned Rakim H.D. Brooks, president of the liberal Alliance for Justice, who referred to as for Thomas to resign. “These revelations of his corruption undermine not solely any belief we would have in his potential to pretty interpret the legislation but in addition our belief within the Supreme Courtroom’s potential to pretty administer the legislation.”

Strain has been mounting on the nation’s highest courtroom for years to undertake a code of ethics in keeping with what decrease federal courtroom judges should adhere to. To date, the Supreme Courtroom has resisted formally embracing such a code.

“Individuals count on and deserve a good and neutral Supreme Courtroom and we’d like transparency with a purpose to determine potential conflicts and to revive public belief in our nation’s highest courtroom,” Widespread Trigger co-president Marilyn Carpinteyro mentioned earlier this week, earlier than the most recent revelation. “The U.S. Supreme Courtroom has repeatedly confirmed itself incapable of policing itself with out a code of ethics.”

Contributing: Josh Meyer

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