Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas arrives for the swearing in ceremony of Judge Neil Gorsuch as an Associate Supreme Court Justice in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, US, April 10, 2017.
Joshua Roberts | Reuters
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has asked for more time to file his annual financial disclosure as he faces an ethics controversy over accepting luxury vacations and other goods from billionaire Republican Harlan Crow.
Thomas will get up to 90 more days to submit his required disclosure. Justice Samuel Alito, another conservative, was the only exception Supreme court justice to request an extension.
The other seven justices filed their disclosures on time. They were released to the public on Wednesday.
ProPublica recently revealed that Thomas has for decades received luxury trips from Crow. The Texas real estate developer also bought properties belonging to the family of a conservative justice in Georgia, and financed part of his great-nephew’s private school education.
The revelations sparked intense criticism of Thomas for not disclosing the relationships, and calls for Supreme Court ethics reform. Crow said those acts were done out of friendship and it wasn’t right.
The Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee asked Crow for information about his relationship with Thomas, but the billionaire brushed off those requests.
On Monday, a lawyer for Crow said the attorney was willing to speak with Judiciary Committee staff members, although he had “concerns” about the panel’s authority to investigate the situation.
Sen. Dick Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who chairs the committee, and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, DR.I., echoed the attorney’s stance, and indicated that they might subpoena Crow.
“Let’s be clear: Harlan Crow is not calling the shots here. He is not a branch — or even a member — of the government and cannot claim the protections and privileges of one,” the two lawmakers said Monday.
“The Senate Judiciary Committee has clearly established oversight and legislative authority to assess and address the ethical crisis facing the Court. All options are on the table moving forward.”
Crow said recently The Atlantic: “I believe that Justice Thomas is a man of the highest character.
He also said it’s “kind of weird to think that if you’re a Supreme Court justice, you can’t have friends.”