US Judge Accused of Failing to Disclose Property Sale to Businessman on Vacation
Supreme Court Justice Thomas Faces Allegations of Undisclosed Financial Transactions and Luxury Freebies
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has come under fire in recent weeks over allegations of impropriety. The latest issue to arise is regarding the exchange of money between the justice and businessman Harlan Crow. Non-profit news portal ProPublica published an article on April 6th revealing that Crow had purchased a home and two plots of land in Savannah, Georgia, where Thomas‘ mother lived, for $133,363 in 2014. The sale was noted as the first public evidence of direct financial transaction between Thomas and Crow, and it was emphasized that Thomas did not disclose this transaction. Legal experts have stated that this may be a violation of the law, as federal officials are usually required to declare real estate money transfers of over $1,000.
This is not the first set of allegations brought against Justice Thomas for accepting undisclosed perks from Harlan Crow. ProPublica had earlier revealed that Thomas had enjoyed luxury vacations and trips on Crow’s private plane and yacht for 20 years without disclosing them. Crow has claimed that his relations with Thomas were only „friendly“ and that he never tried to influence the judge on any legal or political issue.
Senator Dick Durbin, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and ten Democratic senators have sent a petition to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, calling for an investigation into the allegations against Judge Thomas. These allegations have raised concerns over the conduct and integrity of judges on the Supreme Court, which has a lifetime appointment term. The investigation could lead to calls for Thomas to recuse himself from certain cases or even calls for his resignation. However, it is unclear what action, if any, will be taken in response to the allegations.
