Two Democratic senators are accusing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of accepting free, undisclosed trips and gifts, including a yacht trip to Russia and a helicopter ride to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hometown.
Senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Ron Wyden of Oregon sent a letter on July 3 to US Attorney General Merrick Garland. They are requesting an investigation into Justice Thomas.
The senators suspect a “serious possibility of tax fraud” and accuse Thomas of secretly accepting valuable gifts and income.
The letter includes an appendix listing 35 undisclosed gifts. These gifts include a yacht trip to Russia and the Baltics and a helicopter ride to Yusupov Palace in St. Petersburg in 2003.
St. Petersburg is the birthplace of President Putin, who now lives in Moscow. The senators believe these gifts are highly unusual and need to be investigated.
The gifts are listed as coming from Harlan Crow, a real estate developer and former CEO of the Trammell Crow Company. A report by ProPublica from May last year highlighted Thomas’ financial ties to Crow.
Apart from the Russia trip, Crow also paid for Thomas’ grandnephew’s boarding school fees, costing over $6,000 a month. This adds to the list of significant gifts that were not disclosed.
The senators’ letter mentions other gifts from Crow, including free private jet and yacht travel, lodging, tuition for Thomas’ grandnephew, real estate transactions, home renovations, and free rent for Thomas’ mother.
In September, Thomas admitted to accepting three trips on Crow’s private plane but didn’t disclose any other gifts. This has raised concerns among other Democrats about his financial dealings.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York filed articles of impeachment against Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito, accusing them of failing to disclose millions of dollars in gifts from people with business before the court. The situation highlights the need for transparency and accountability in public office, especially for those in high positions like the Supreme Court.
