Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas took a number of trips on a private jet owned by a GOP megadonor, according to Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Senators claimed they obtained the new information from the Justice’s attorney, who, in a letter to the Committee, said Thomas had flown to Glacier National Park in Montana, Washington, DC, and Georgia on a jet owned by billionaire Harlan Crow.
The relationship between Justice Thomas and Mr. Crow has previously been documented, and media investigations uncovered evidence that he had received several gifts from the conservative billionaire, including access to yachts and private resorts. Critics accused the Justice of violating federal law, specifically the Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act, introduced by President Biden in 2022. The Justice previously said he had “unintentionally omitted” the gifts from financial disclosures.
The Supreme Court’s code of ethics, which encourages transparency, is non-binding and has no enforcement mechanism, and recent revelations have prompted Democrats to call for change. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois said it is “crystal clear that the highest court needs an enforceable code of conduct.”
The new information comes as the Supreme Court faces increased criticism and questions about its impartiality. Critics slammed Justice Samuel Alito in May when media reports noted that the “Appeal to Heaven” flag was hoisted outside his New Jersey home alongside an inverted Stars and Stripes.
Alito insisted that his wife was responsible for flying the flags, and as a legal owner, he had no right to prevent her from doing so. The “Appeal to Heaven” flag, also known as the Pine Tree Flag, symbolized the American Revolutionary War and was attached to ships commanded by George Washington.
Detractors say it has transitioned into a white supremacy emblem, along with the upside-down US flag, which is traditionally employed as a sign of distress. Protestors flew both banners on January 6, and Democrats called for Alito to recuse himself from any case involving the Capitol riots.