ProPublica reveals decades of luxury travel/gifts to Justice Thomas; 2023 Judicial Conference narrows hospitality exemption
ProPublica documented years of undisclosed luxury travel and gifts for Justice Clarence Thomas from billionaire Harlan Crow and other benefactors. In March 2023, the Judicial Conference clarified that “personal hospitality” does not exempt disclosure of non-commercial transportation (e.g., private jets) and hospitality paid by entities. Thomas later amended disclosures acknowledging omissions; federal courts declined referral for prosecution while citing prior staff guidance ambiguity.
Key Actors
Sources (4)
- Clarence Thomas secretly accepted luxury trips from GOP megadonor Harlan Crow (2023-04-06)
- Judicial Conference tightens rules on 'personal hospitality' and disclosures (2023-03-28)
- Thomas and Alito file 2022 financial disclosures; note new guidance (2023-08-31)
- Federal courts won't refer Justice Thomas for DOJ investigation; discussion of prior guidance (2025-01-03)
Help Improve This Timeline
Found an error or have additional information? You can help improve this event.
Edit: Opens GitHub editor to submit corrections or improvements via pull request.
Suggest: Opens a GitHub issue to propose a new event for the timeline.