Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas took several more undisclosed trips on a private jet and super-yacht owned by Harlan Crow, a billionaire Republican donor, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) revealed in a letter sent to Crow’s attorneys on Monday.
According to the Oregon senator, flight records confirm that Thomas and his wife, Republican strategist Ginni Thomas, flew to New Zealand from Hawaii and back on Harlan Crow’s private jet in 2010.
Wyden’s office asked Crow to provide more information about dozens of flights Thomas allegedly took on the jet—including multiple short hops between Washington, D.C. and New York City.
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Wyden also said that a “relative of Justice Thomas” stated he vacationed onboard Crow’s 162-foot super-yacht, the Michaela Rose, on several other trips, including trips to the Caribbean, the Baltic states, and Russia—where he also allegedly traveled by helicopter.
“The fact a Supreme Court Justice accepted free travel to Russia paid for by a billionaire and failed to disclose the trip as required by law is undoubtedly concerning and merits continued investigation,” Wyden wrote. “Other government officials have been charged for making false statements on financial disclosures for less serious violations than the evidence suggests Justice Thomas committed.”
The Oregon senator’s letter said he was concerned Crow was involved in a “scheme to avoid paying taxes by claiming business deductions on personal travel.” A representative for Crow told the New York Times that Wyden’s inquiries had “no legal basis” and the letter was “intended to harass a private citizen.”
Thomas, who was nominated by former President George H.W. Bush in 1990, came under fire after a ProPublica investigation in 2023 first revealed he took multiple trips on a private jet owned by Crow. Thomas also vacationed with Crow in Indonesia on the Michaela Rose in 2019. The investigative outlet estimated it would have cost about $500,000 to charter a yacht the size of the Michaela Rose.
Thomas claimed the trips were “personal hospitality from close personal friends,” and initially insisted he did not have to report them on his disclosure forms.
The public outcry after Thomas’ trips were reported has contributed to growing calls to enforce the ethics code in place for Supreme Court justices. Last week, President Joe Biden proposed reforms to the high court which would include a binding code of conduct and 18-year term limits for justices.
Thomas eventually updated his disclosure forms to include the trip to Indonesia, but the trips to New Zealand and Russia were never officially disclosed.
