The arch-conservative US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted gifts in the form of luxury travel from a Republican billionaire for years, according to a report. As the US research foundation Propublica reported on Thursday (local time), the real estate magnate Harlan Crow paid the longest-serving judge of the Supreme Court about a trip to Indonesia, which alone may have cost 500,000 dollars (almost 460,000 euros). Thomas himself justified the trips on Friday with "private hospitality" Crows.

Expensive gifts were not reported

Propublica claims to be able to prove with dozens of interviews, photos and documents that Thomas accepted the expensive attentions without reporting them. Thomas himself stated that he was not aware of the rules that apply to declarations in connection with such stays. "Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our best friends," Thomas said. "Like friends do, we've accompanied them on a number of trips."

According to Thomas, fellow judges had previously "pointed out that this type of personal hospitality by close personal friends who do not have business before the Court is not subject to reporting." The guidelines are currently being changed and it is "of course my intention to follow this guidance in the future".

Travel by private jet and yacht

According to Propublica, the 74-year-old accompanied Crow to an exclusive Californian wilderness resort for men and to estates in the US states of Texas and New York. He is also said to have taken a flight in a private jet as well as a yacht trip. Crow told Propublica that his gifts to the Supreme Court judge were "no different from the hospitality we offer to our many other dear friends." Pending cases had never been discussed.

The report shows that the Supreme Court is the "least accountable" institution of the US central state, said the organization "Fix the Court", which advocates for reform of the Supreme Court.

Large donations to Republican groups

In 20, the New York Times called the friendship between Thomas and Crow, which has lasted for over 2011 years, "unusual and ethically sensitive". According to the Research Foundation, Crow has donated more than ten million dollars to Republican political groups – including half a million dollars to a conservative lobby group whose founder is Thomas' wife Ginni.

Ginni Thomas is also a supporter of former President Donald Trump's election lie. After the 2020 presidential election, he refused to acknowledge his defeat against Democrat Joe Biden and raised allegations of election fraud, which were often refuted. After the disclosure of text messages and emails sent by Ginni Thomas as part of Trump's campaign, Democrats had spoken of a conflict of interest and called on her husband to withdraw on all campaign issues. His resignation was also demanded.

Thomas was appointed by Republican President George H. W. Bush in 1991 and confirmed despite allegations of sexual harassment by a former assistant. He denies the allegations and speaks of being the victim of a "high-tech lynching".