Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has filed an amended financial disclosure to include two trips he received as gifts.
Justice Thomas, an appointee of former President George H. W. Bush, said in his 2023 disclosure that he “inadvertently omitted” the trips, paid for by billionaire Harlan Crow, on his report for 2019.
The updated disclosure, dated March 15 and released to the public on Friday, includes a trip to Bali, Indonesia, on July 12, 2019.
The second trip occurred from July 18 to July 21, 2019, in Monte Rio, California.
In 2023, a lawyer representing Justice Thomas refuted critics’ claims that the justice had not fully reported all the gifts he received on his disclosures.
In 2023, Justice Thomas reported receiving only one gift, stating that he had received two photo albums valued at approximately $2,000.
Eight out of the nine Supreme Court justices submitted their disclosures for 2023. However, Justice Samuel Alito, appointed by former President George W. Bush, was granted an extension.
Apart from Justice Thomas’s disclosure of receiving photo albums, Justice Jackson was the sole justice to report a gift.
She reported receiving artwork valued at $12,500 from two sources, one of whom was artist Lonnie Holley.
According to her disclosure, Justice Jackson also received four concert tickets to an unspecified event as a gift from singer Beyoncé.
The Supreme Court’s ethics code, established in 2023, dictates that justices must follow the rules outlined by the Judicial Conference regarding gifts. These rules specify that judicial officers and employees are prohibited from accepting gifts from individuals with matters before the court. However, they are allowed to accept gifts like travel expenses from other donors.
The conference mandates that judges disclose most gifts, in 2023, that included gifts worth $480 or more.
In March, the conference revised its rules to encompass reimbursed travel expenses. In a notice, the conference stated that the update aimed “to reflect past statutory changes more clearly and help ensure complete reporting of gifts and reimbursements consistent with statutory requirements.”
According to Fix the Court, a nonprofit advocating for significant reforms within the courts, including stricter ethics regulations, justices have accepted 344 gifts totaling $2.9 million from 2004 to 2023.
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