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☆ Senate Democrats ask billionaire Harlan Crow to list gifts to Clarence Thomas and any other justices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Summer Concepcion | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

They also asked Crow to provide a full list of real estate transactions, transportation, lodging and admission to private clubs he might have provided. All 11 Democrats, including Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., who has been absent from the Senate due to health issues, signed the letter. Republicans on the committee and the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment. Wyden asked for answers by May 8, the same day Durbin issued his latest letter to Crow. The Supreme Court in March tightened some of its rules on what judges and justices need to include in annual financial disclosure statements.

☆ The same year Clarence Thomas sent a child to a private boarding school on Harlan Crow's dime, a parent testified that the academy used children for free labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The school Clarence Thomas sent a child to has been accused of forcing students into hard labor. A ProPublica report found that Harlan Crow footed the school's $6,000-a-month bill for Thomas. Thomas has been accused of judicial misconduct for not reporting gifts he received from Crow. These activities could go on "for as long as 8 hours," the parent wrote. Justice Thomas has been accused of judicial misconduct after a series of reports from ProPublica detailed his acceptance of unreported lavish gifts from Crow.

☆ GOP megadonor Harlan Crow paid for Clarence Thomas to send a child in his custody to a $6,000-a-month private boarding school: ProPublica
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sent a child in his custody to a private boarding school. GOP megadonor Harlan Crow paid at least some of the child's $6,000-a-month tuition, per ProPublica. Tuition at the Hidden Lake Academy cost more than $6,000 a month, but ProPublica reported that Thomas did not pay for Martin's education himself. A former administrator at the school, Christopher Grimwood, told ProPublica that Crow covered the costs of Martin's entire education at the school — about a year. If Crow had paid for Martin's education at both schools over a period of four years, he would have spent more than $150,000, ProPublica said.

Companies United States Senate FollowWASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Ethics concerns relating to U.S. Supreme Court justices are set to be scrutinized on Tuesday by a Senate panel during a hearing called amid revelations about luxury trips and real estate transactions involving members of the nation's top judicial body. "Supreme Court ethics reform must happen whether the court participates in the process or not," Durbin said in a statement responding to the decision by Roberts not to appear. "It is time for Congress to accept its responsibility to establish an enforceable code of ethics for the Supreme Court, the only agency of our government without it." Roberts has said Supreme Court justices consult that code in assessing their own ethical obligations. In a letter to Durbin declining to testify, Roberts attached a "Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices" to which the justices adhere.

Supreme Court justices are under renewed scrutiny due to recently uncovered financial dealings. That's a question that the Romans asked over 2,000 years ago," Doron Kalir, a professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and an expert in legal ethics, told Insider. But parties arguing before the Supreme Court cannot challenge justices for a lack of recusal like people can in lower courts. There is an official Code of Conduct for Federal Judges, but it applies to all federal judges except the Supreme Court justices, simply because that's what the Supreme Court decided, according to Kalir. "That's what the Supreme Court decided, and they're supreme," Kalir told Insider.

☆ Senate Judiciary Democrats underwhelmed by Supreme Court chief Roberts' ethics response
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in a letter Monday answered additional questions about ethics on the high court — but the Democratic leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee was less than impressed with his response. Roberts' answers "further highlight the need for meaningful Supreme Court ethics reform, which the Committee will discuss at our hearing tomorrow," the Democratic-led Judiciary Committee said in a Twitter post. The revelations come as the Supreme Court is experiencing historically low levels of public approval. Roberts' response included a statement of ethics principles and practices "to which all of the current Members of the Supreme Court subscribe." The Supreme Court, unlike lower federal courts, is not bound by a mandatory code of conduct.

☆ Justice Clarence Thomas' troubles reveal a much larger accountability issue lurking in the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is facing a wave of misconduct allegations in recent weeks. The Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations. What was your initial reaction to Monday's Bloomberg report regarding the 2004 appeals case that Justice Thomas failed to recuse himself from? Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The point is that the issue should not be punishing Justice Thomas or punishing Justice Gorsuch.

☆ One of Harlan Crow's Hitler paintings from his collection of Nazi memorabilia is likely a fake, according to two top experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jack Newsham | Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But one of his supposed Hitler paintings appears to be fake, two experts told Insider. Harlan Crow's little-seen Hitler art collectionLittle is known about Crow's collection. Insider spoke with a person who attended a 2014 tour of Crow's library, led by Crow's personal librarian, who confirmed that he saw the Hitler watercolor in Crow's collection. The US Army has four Hitler paintings in storage, Renee Klish, a retired Army curator, told Insider. Panagopulos of Alexander Historical Auctions, who has often disagreed with Droog, also said it was doubtful that Crow's painting was genuine.

☆ Clarence Thomas didn't recuse himself from a 2004 appeal tied to Harlan Crow's family business, per Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Lauren Steussy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Clarence Thomas previously said his friend Harlan Crow had no business before the court. But a case involving Trammell Crow Residential made its way to the Supreme Court in 2005, per Bloomberg. Harlan Crow was CEO of Crow Holdings from 1988 to 2017, and remains chair of its board, per Bloomberg and The Real Deal. "At the time of this case, Trammell Crow Residential operated completely independently of Crow Holdings with a separate management team and its own independent operations," the statement to Bloomberg said. Neither Harlan Crow nor Crow Holdings had knowledge of or involvement in this case, and a search of Crow Holding's legal records reveals no involvement in this case.

☆ Sen. Wyden asks billionaire Harlan Crow for list of gifts to Supreme Court Justice Thomas
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on Monday asked GOP megadonor Harlan Crow for a complete list of gifts to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and evidence that the billionaire real estate developer complied with federal tax law in connection with the long-undisclosed largesse to Thomas. "This unprecedented arrangement between a wealthy benefactor and a Supreme Court justice raises serious concerns related to federal tax and ethics laws," Wyden, who heads the Senate Finance Committee, wrote in a six-page letter to Crow. Thomas had not disclosed any of the gifts from Crow, or the property purchases by him, until they were revealed by ProPublica. "The secrecy surrounding your dealings with Justice Thomas is simply unacceptable," Wyden wrote in his letter to Crow. "The American public deserves a full accounting of the full extent of your largesse towards Justice Thomas, including whether these gifts complied with all relevant federal tax and ethics laws," he wrote.

[1/2] Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts arrives before President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Tuesday, February 7, 2023, in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoCompanies United States Senate FollowWASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - The Senate Judiciary Committee's chairman called on U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts to testify at a May 2 hearing on Supreme ethics reform after earlier urging him to investigate ties between Justice Clarence Thomas and a wealthy Republican donor. The court did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Roberts. The chief justice is a member of the court's 6-3 conservative majority. In inviting Roberts to testify, Durbin also said the chief justice could designate another justice to appear instead.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts poses during a group portrait at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., October 7, 2022. The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday invited Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to testify next month before the panel about ethics reform of the court. Last week, the same news outlet reported that Thomas failed to disclose that Crow had purchased property from Thomas and his relatives, which included a house where Thomas' mother still lives. In his letter Thursday to Roberts, Durbin wrote, "Your last significant discussion of how Supreme Court Justices address ethical issues was presented in your 2011 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary." A Supreme Court spokeswoman did not immediately respond to CNBC when asked if Roberts would accept Durbin's invitation to appear before the committee.

☆ GOP senators defend Clarence Thomas' billionaire benefactor's Nazi memorabilia collection: 'Harlan Crow's a terrific person'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The GOP megadonor also keeps Nazi artifacts at his Dallas home, where he's hosted fundraisers. In interviews with Insider at the Capitol on Tuesday, several of them defended the Republican megadonor amid broad scrutiny of his taste in historical artifacts. The Texas senator argued that the media is "deliberately" mischaracterizing the nature of Crow's collection in order to tarnish Justice Thomas' reputation. 'He's not a drug dealer or cocaine trafficker'Crow also collects other historical artifacts, including thousands of documents, books, and historical artifacts pertaining to American history. But when asked about Crow's Nazi memorabilia and dictator sculptures, Ernst said she had "no idea" about it.

☆ GOP megadonor Harlan Crow isn't charging Clarence Thomas' mother rent. Zillow estimates suggest that would have saved her $155,000 since 2014.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

GOP megadonor Harlan Crow bought SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas' mother's house in October 2014. Thomas' mother still lives there rent-free, CNN reported. And that deal may have saved her more than $150,000 in rent for the property, according to Zillow estimates. According to Zillow's estimates for what the property would cost to rent, Williams could have saved as much as $154,900 over the years. ProPublica reported that after the sale, renovations equating to thousands of dollars were made to the home, including a repaired roof and a new carport.

☆ GOP Megadonor Harlan Crow claims he's the victim of 'a political hit job' after reporting showed he paid for Clarence Thomas' lavish vacations and bought property from him
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

GOP megadonor Harlan Crow defended his ties to Justice Clarence Thomas. "I think it's a political hit job," Crow told The Dallas Morning News. "I think it's a political hit job," Crow told Dallas Morning News columnist Cheryl Hall in his largest response to ProPublica's bombshell reports. "I don't think the media cares really much about Harlan Crow, and I think they're right. Engelberg added that the publication reached out to Justice Thomas and Crow with extensive questions about what their reporting uncovered.

☆ Clarence Thomas' billionaire benefactor Harlan Crow has also spent thousands boosting Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and an anti-Trump super PAC
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

They include Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign, major Senate campaigns, and an anti-Trump PAC. The Texas billionaire also gave $50,000 in 2015 to "Right to Rise," a super PAC associated with Jeb Bush. Senate super PAC spendingIn addition to being a major super PAC spender at the presidential level, Crow has given thousands to outside spending groups supporting the party's Senate candidates over the years. He also gave $50,000 to "Show Me Values PAC," a super PAC set up to prevent the scandal-plagued former Gov. And in 2016, he gave $55,000 to "Let America Work," a super PAC boosting Sen. Ron Johnson against former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold.

☆ Senate Democrats urge Supreme Court chief justice to investigate Clarence Thomas luxury trips
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Associate Justice Clarence Thomas poses during a group photo of the Justices at the Supreme Court in Washington, April 23, 2021. The Senate Judiciary Committee's Democratic majority on Monday called for an investigation into Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' behavior after a report revealed he had failed to disclose years of luxury trips funded by a Republican megadonor. Chief Justice John Roberts should "immediately open" a probe into "how such conduct could take place" on his watch, read a letter from Chairman Dick Durbin of Illinois and the Senate Judiciary panel's 10 other Democratic members. The Democrats also warned they would "consider legislation to resolve" the issue if the high court does not do so on its own. The Senate Judiciary panel's letter to Roberts said Thomas' failure to report the trips is "plainly inconsistent with the ethical standards the American people expect of any person in a position of public trust."

☆ Clarence Thomas' benefactor, the billionaire megadonor Harlan Crow, has a collection of Hitler artifacts and Nazi memorabilia: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Clarence Thomas benefactor Harlan Crow has an art collection that includes Nazi memorabilia, the Washingtonian reported. A bombshell ProPublica report revealed that Thomas had taken undisclosed trips funded by Crow for more than 20 years. "I still can't get over the collection of Nazi memorabilia," an individual who has remained anonymous and who attended an event at Crow's home told the magazine. When the Morning News reporter finally saw the garden of dictator statues, Crow described it as an acknowledgment of the inhumanity that some men have shown to others. The news of Crow's collection comes after a bombshell ProPublica report, which detailed how Thomas has taken luxury vacations funded by the megadonor for more than 20 years without disclosing the excursions.

☆ Clarence Thomas claims he was told it was not necessary to publicly report the $500,000 trips he took with GOP mega donor Harlan Crow
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Justice Thomas defended himself after a bombshell report raised questions about his financial disclosures. Thomas said that he had followed guidance by not disclosing lavish trips financed by a GOP megadonor who he considers a close friend. Thomas' explanation comes a day after ProPublica's bombshell report that extensively detailed how Crow secretly finance private trips Thomas took for over 20 years. This appears to conflict with an earlier practice by Thomas, who once did report Crow's gifts. Multiple ethics experts told ProPublica that Thomas had clearly violated ethics requirements by not disclosing the more recent trips.

☆ Meet Harlan Crow, Clarence Thomas' vacation pal, GOP megadonor, and billionaire Texas real estate magnate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Texas real estate magnate Harlan Crow provided lavish vacations to Justice Clarence Thomas. Born in 1949 in Dallas, Texas, Crow is a 74-year-old real estate developer and the chairman of Crow Holdings, a Dallas-based real estate development and investment firm that was started by his father, Trammell Crow. Before his death in 2009, Trammell Crow was once one of the nation's most prominent real estate developers and landlords. What's his relationship with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas? He also donated $105,000 to Thomas' alma mater, Yale Law School, for the "Justice Thomas Portrait Fund."

WHO IS HARLAN CROW? Crow, 74, is the chairman and former CEO of Crow Holdings, a Texas-based family real estate firm established to manage the capital of the Trammell Crow family. While his net worth is unclear, Crow Holdings had $19.6 billion in assets under management in 2020. Harlan Crow was pivotal in restructuring the company’s debt in the 1980s, saving it from bankruptcy, according to media reports. HARLAN CROW'S POLITICAL LEANINGSCrow has a history of donating to conservative causes.

☆ Clarence Thomas has accepted undisclosed luxury trips from GOP megadonor for decades, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Associate Justice Clarence Thomas during the formal group photograph at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted secret luxury trips from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow for more than two decades in apparent violation of a financial disclosure law, a ProPublica report revealed Thursday. Thomas has vacationed on Crow's 162-foot superyacht, flown on the real estate developer's private jet and spent time at the GOP donor's private resort and other exclusive retreats, ProPublica reported, citing documents and dozens of interviews. Thomas "seems to have completely disregarded his higher ethical obligations," Virginia Canter, chief ethics counsel at the watchdog group CREW, told the outlet. Spokespeople for the Supreme Court and Crow did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the investigation.

☆ Why there's almost no chance Clarence Thomas gets impeached, despite an ever-growing list of ethics violations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There are renewed calls to impeach Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas amid new ethics concerns. But the only way to remove a Supreme Court justice is via impeachment, and only one justice has ever been impeached. Amid the backlash, Justice Thomas did not recuse himself from any January 6 cases. Only one other Supreme Court justice has ever been impeached, and he wasn't convicted. In other words, scandals may come and go, but Supreme Court justices are for life.

☆ Clarence Thomas said he loves RVs and Walmarts in a documentary financed by the billionaire who was taking him on luxury vacations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas once said in a documentary that he prefers RV parks and Walmarts. A new ProPublica report found Thomas has been taking luxury vacations paid for by a GOP megadonor for years. A Supreme Court spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment by Insider on Thursday. "Justice Thomas and Ginni never asked for any of this hospitality," Crow said. "We have never asked about a pending or lower court case, and Justice Thomas has never discussed one, and we have never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue," said Crow.

☆ GOP billionaire who funded Clarence Thomas's vacations has also given thousands of dollars to Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

GOP megadonor Harlan Crow has been secretly funding lavish vacations for Justice Clarence Thomas. But he's also given thousands to Democrats who've stymied the party's agenda at various times. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, as well as Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Henry Cuellar. According to federal campaign finance data, the Texas billionaire has given $16,800 to Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey since 2018, contributing thousands as recently as October 2022. For his part, Crow told ProPublica in a statement that he and his wife "have never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue."

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