A new report from the U.S. Senate accuses Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito of violating federal disclosure laws following an extensive investigation by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The report, led by Senator Dick Durbin, arrives as Republicans are poised to take control of the Senate, drawing attention to growing ethical concerns surrounding the justices’ actions.”
The Senate report claims that both Thomas and Alito failed to properly disclose gifts, lavish trips, and other benefits they received from wealthy businessmen. According to the report, this failure to disclose violates federal law, which requires public officials, including Supreme Court justices, to disclose gifts and travel paid for by others.
Durbin’s report is the most thorough examination to date of the questionable gifts and travel arrangements involving the two justices. Though some of these issues have been known for months, the report emphasizes the extent to which Thomas and Alito have received luxury gifts, including private jet flights and stays at expensive resorts. It aims to draw attention to what it describes as an ongoing ethical crisis on the nation’s highest court.
“Now more than ever before, as a result of information gathered by subpoenas, we know the extent to which the Supreme Court is mired in an ethical crisis of its own making,” Durbin said. “It’s clear that the justices are losing the trust of the American people at the hands of a gaggle of fawning billionaires.”
Clarence Thomas, in particular, has been under scrutiny for years for his financial ties to wealthy donors. Thomas has faced multiple allegations of unethical conduct, including not disclosing a series of luxury trips funded by billionaire businessman Harlan Crow. These trips included travel on Crow’s private jet and stays at his private resort. Despite calls for accountability, Thomas has continued to defend his actions, citing a “personal hospitality” exemption in the law, which he argues does not require him to report these gifts.
However, the law surrounding these disclosures was made clearer last year, when the federal judiciary stated that justices must report stays at resorts and the use of private jets if they are non-business related. Despite this clarification, Thomas continued to face criticism for not adhering to these rules, and the Supreme Court’s response was to introduce a voluntary code of conduct—though it was widely criticized for lacking any enforcement power.
Durbin’s report also addresses other ethical concerns, including an incident involving Samuel Alito. This year, Alito faced backlash after flags—one of which was an upside-down American flag—were flown over properties he owns. The report also noted that Thomas violated federal law by not recusing himself from cases related to the 2020 presidential election, even though his wife, Ginni Thomas, had been involved in political activism supporting Donald Trump.
While federal law allows justices to decide for themselves whether to recuse, it requires them to step aside in cases where a spouse’s involvement could significantly affect the outcome. Ginni Thomas’s efforts to challenge the election results have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest, yet Clarence Thomas did not recuse himself from related cases.
Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have defended Thomas and Alito, accusing Democrats of trying to undermine the conservative majority on the Supreme Court by focusing on ethics issues. With Republicans set to control the Senate, any proposals to strengthen judicial ethics are unlikely to move forward.
Gabe Roth, the executive director of the nonprofit group Fix the Court, commented on the report: “The Majority Staff Report is not merely the Thomas Report, though he plays the most prominent role. It shows how nearly every justice—liberal and conservative, both those who’ve left the Court in the recent past and the nine who serve today—has made lapses in judgment when it comes to their ethical responsibilities.”
This new report only adds to a growing list of scandals surrounding the Supreme Court and its justices. As more details about their finances and ethical lapses continue to emerge, the public’s trust in the court may continue to erode.
