Justice Thomas Broke the Law and Accountability Is Essential 

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 13, 2023 – Today ProPublica reported new revelations into Justice Clarence Thomas’s dealings with Republican billionaire Harlan Crow. Not only has Thomas received lavish vacations that he didn’t disclose, but he also sold property to Crow totaling $133,363 — despite having listed the value of the property as “$15,000 or less” in financial disclosures just years before. In fact, this led to Crow owning the property where Thomas’s mother was living. Thomas never disclosed the sale, despite a federal disclosure law requiring him to do so. After acquiring the property, Crow spent tens of thousands of dollars on upgrades and improvements to the home. It is unclear whether Crow has allowed Thomas’s mother to continue to live in the home rent-free since he acquired it, which would also need to be disclosed. 

Alliance for Justice President Rakim H.D. Brooks issued the following statement: 

“The only person who doesn’t think Clarence Thomas abused the power of his office is Clarence Thomas. For the rest of us, the path is clear: He must resign immediately. These revelations of his corruption undermine not only any trust we might have in his ability to fairly interpret the law but also our trust in the Supreme Court’s ability to fairly administer the law. The integrity of the Supreme Court and the rule of law is at stake.  

“Congress must take all appropriate action to investigate Thomas’s corruption and the effect it has had during his long tenure as a justice. We applaud Chairman Durbin for taking the appropriate first steps and we encourage any and all reasonable measure be taken to ensure Thomas’s resignation before he can further sabotage our democracy in favor of the wealthy and powerful.”  

See AFJ’s previous statement on the initial reporting on Thomas and Crow’s relationship.