News broke this week that US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas had received a long list of undisclosed gifts and trips from a prominent Republican donor, including artwork and memorabilia. of cultural significance.
According to the report of ProPublica, Thomas has accepted gifts or donations on his behalf from property developer and leading conservative donor Harlan Crow for the past two decades. Today, Thomas said in a statement sent to CNN that “colleagues and other members of the judiciary” have indicated that reporting these gifts was uselessadding that the guidelines for judges on personal travel and gifts have recently changed.
Among the gifts said to have been given to or on behalf of Thomas are a $19,000 Bible that once belonged to Frederick Douglass; Montreal illustrator Sharif Tarabay’s painting of the judge and his wife, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas (recently scrutinized for links to January 6 uprising); and $105,000 to Yale Law School for the “Justice Thomas Portrait Fund,” according to tax returns reviewed by ProPublica.
But the weirdest thing is probably the seven feet tall, 1,800 pounds of bronze of Sister Mary Virgilius Reidy, a nun who taught Thomas in eighth grade, which was apparently not a gift to Thomas directly, but rather dedicated in his name at Maryrest Cemetery in New Jersey. The granite base is said to be inscribed with a phrase spoken by Sister Virgilius to Thomas: “We lived with you, and you knew we loved you”.
By ProPublicaThomas and Crow flew on Crow’s jet to the cemetery for the dedication ceremony on the weekend of October 16, 2021. “This extraordinary statue is dedicated to you, my sisters,” Thomas said, speaking to the crowd and thanking the donors – Crow and his wife – for paying it.
These expensive giveaways have raised alarm bells for legal ethicists, conduct experts and other politicians who allege Thomas may have violated principles designed to prevent judges from becoming politically corrupt. On TwitterU.S. Senator from Connecticut and Democratic Party member Chris Murphy wrote that it was “the clearest and most brazen violation of judicial ethics you could imagine”.
About the gifts and the trip, Crow told ProPublica that he never asked about an “ongoing or lower court case” and was unaware that his friends were trying to pressure the Supreme Court judge. He argues that the gifts are just another gesture of hospitality that honors Thomas.
“On many occasions, we have contributed to projects celebrating the life and legacy of Justice Thomas, just as we have with other great leaders and historical figures,” Crow said.
