Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted luxury vacations from a major Republican donor, according to new ProPublica research, renewing Democrats’ call for a high court code of conduct.
ProPublica’s investigation reveals several potential conflicts of interest between billionaire businessman Thomas and Harlan Crowe. Crowe took Thomas and his wife, Ginny Thomas, on vacations that included cruises and private flights that could cost millions of dollars; According to the report, Thomas did not report them as part of his annual financial disclosure. Neither Thomas nor the Supreme Court has commented on the details of the ProPublica investigation. But many Democratic members of Congress did. ( Report On Justice Thomas’ Visit Reiterates Demand For Supreme Court Code Of Conduct)
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, “The nation’s highest court should not have the lowest ethical standards.” “This behavior is simply inconsistent with the ethical standards the American people expect of any public servant, let alone a Supreme Court justice.”
The response came from Democrats in both houses. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Josh Harder, Judy Chu, and Ilhan Omar took to Twitter to express their disapproval of Thomas or their support for creating a standard or code of conduct for the Supreme Court.
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Cory Booker and Alex Padilla also issued statements.
“There is no reason why the justices who sit on the highest court of the land should be held to lower ethical standards than any employee of our federal government,” Booker said in a statement. “It underscores why we must enact a binding and enforceable code of conduct for the Supreme Court. Americans deserve a Supreme Court that is above reproach, commands respect, and our justice system does not undermine the faith of the people in the (Report On Justice Thomas’ Visit Reiterates Demand For Supreme Court Code Of Conduct)
Padilla Also Considered The Need For A Code Of Conduct.
“Judges must meet the same rigorous ethical standards as other public officials: Thomas’ actions make it abundantly clear that we need a code of conduct for the Supreme Court,” Padilla said in a statement to NPR. “
And Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who is also on the Judiciary Committee, took to Twitter to criticize Thomas.
