
Ray Bogan
Political Correspondent
Controversy over Justice Thomas’ trips prompts calls for action, more disclosure
Apr 10
By Ray Bogan (Political Correspondent), Brian Spencer (Editor)
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas admitted to taking vacations with real estate magnate Harlan Crow. The justice and the billionaire political donor have been friends for more than 25 years, during that time, Thomas has traveled on Crow’s private jet, yacht and stayed at his private resort in the Adirondacks.
The information about Justice Thomas’ vacations was first released in a report by ProPublica, which criticized Thomas for not listing the trips in his financial disclosures. The vacations would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars had Thomas paid for it himself.
Thomas said the trips were personal hospitality from a close friend and that he always follows disclosure guidelines.
“Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable,” Thomas said in a statement in response to the ProPublica report.
Thomas added that he will comply with new disclosure rules set by the committee of the Judicial Conference that took effect March 14. Now, if any justice accepts a gift, they will have to report it in their annual financial disclosure.
The Judicial Conference now requires federal judges to report transportation that substitutes commercial transportation, any gifts at a commercial property like a resort or restaurant, or any property or facility that is owned by an entity even if that entity is owned by the person making the gift.
Like Thomas, Crow said the trips were personal hospitality for a longtime friend.
“We have never asked about a pending or lower court case, and Justice Thomas has never discussed one, and we have never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue,” Crow said.
Although the rules just got stricter, some lawmakers on Capitol Hill want to increase reporting requirements even more.
“Today’s report demonstrates, yet again, that Supreme Court justices must be held to an enforceable code of conduct, just like every other federal judge,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said in a statement.
Durbin said the Judiciary Committee will act.
Instagram photos show Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on a family trip to Indonesia, with real estate magnate Harlan Crow. The Justice and the billionaire political donor have been friends for more than 25 years, and during that time, Thomas has traveled on Crow’s private jet, yacht, and spent time at his private resort in the Adirondacks.
The information was released in a report by ProPublica, which criticized the Justice for not listing the trips on his financial disclosures. Trips that would have cost Thomas hundreds of thousands of dollars had he paid for them himself.
Crow said in a statement that his family quote: “never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue.” He said it was personal hospitality for a longtime friend.
Thomas also said he and the Crows are good friends and they’ve gone on a number of trips together. He added he always follows disclosure guidelines. He said in a statement quote:
“Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable.”
But the rules for reporting personal hospitality just changed on March 14th. So now if any Justice accepts a gift, they’ll have to report it in their annual financial disclosure.
That includes transportation that substitutes commercial transportation, any gifts at a commercial property like a resort or restaurant, or any property or facility that is owned by an entity, even if that entity is owned by the person making the gift.
Although the rules just got stricter, some lawmakers on Capitol Hill want to increase reporting requirements even more.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin said in a statement quote: “Today’s report demonstrates, yet again, that Supreme Court Justices must be held to an enforceable code of conduct, just like every other federal judge. ”
Durbin said the Judiciary Committee will act. Straight from DC, I’m Ray Bogan.
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean.
171 other sources covering this story
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Bias Distribution
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R 8%
Clarence Thomas Says He Was ‘Advised’ He Didn’t Need To Report Lavish Trips With GOP Donor
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Clarence Thomas defends not disclosing free vacations from ‘dear friend’ GOP megadonor
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Clarence Thomas defends luxury vacations paid for by billionaire Republican donor
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Clarence Thomas: Those Lavish Trips I Didn’t Disclose Were Just ‘Personal Hospitality’
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Clarence Thomas Says He Was Told It Was Totally Cool to Secretly Accept Free Trips and Yacht Rides From Billionaire GOP Donor
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Should Clarence Thomas Be Impeached? GOP Megadonor Gave Justice Free Luxury Vacations for 20 Years
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Clarence Thomas Took Undisclosed Lavish Trips Paid For By GOP Donor: Report
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Clarence Thomas defends himself against report of undisclosed gifts
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he wasn’t required to report trips with GOP donor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Clarence Thomas says trips with billionaire didn’t need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Thomas: Advisers said no need to report travel with GOP donor
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Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t believe he had to report trips with billionaire GOP donor
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Justice Clarence Thomas says he will disclose more about his future free trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to report lavish trips
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Justice Thomas says he was ‘advised’ trips with billionaire did not need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Thomas says he was ‘advised’ trips with billionaire did not need to be disclosed at the time
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Clarence Thomas says trips paid for by billionaire were ‘personal hospitality,’ not business
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he was ‘advised’ trips with billionaire did not need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Thomas says he was ‘advised’ trips with billionaire did not need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Thomas says he was ‘advised’ trips with billionaire did not need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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After report revealing luxury trips paid for by Republican donor, Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose them – The Boston Globe
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips – West Hawaii Today
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Clarence Thomas defends undisclosed trips. Here are the facts
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Clarence Thomas Defends Undisclosed “Family Trips” with GOP Megadonor. Here Are the Facts.
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Supreme Court Justice Thomas defends luxury trips
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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thomas defends trips financed by ‘dearest friends’
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U.S. Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Clarence Thomas explains failure to report trips paid for by conservative billionaire
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Justice Clarence Thomas says trips with billionaire didn’t need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Clarence Thomas says he ‘was advised’ he didn’t have to disclose trips paid for by GOP donor
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Justice Clarence Thomas says trips with billionaire didn’t need to be disclosed at the time
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Clarence Thomas responds to vacation controversy
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Thomas Says He Didn’t Have to Disclose Luxury Trips
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Clarence Thomas says he ‘was advised’ luxury trips did not require disclosure
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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US Justice Clarence Thomas responds to unreported luxury travel
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Justice Thomas says he was ‘advised’ trips with billionaire did not need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he was ‘advised’ trips with billionaire did not need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Thomas says he was ‘advised’ trips with billionaire did not need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips paid for by Republican donor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Clarence Thomas Tries to Explain Gifts of Luxury Travel
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas responds to report on his trips paid for by Republican megadonor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Clarence Thomas says trips with billionaire didn’t need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Supreme Judge Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to report luxury trips paid for by Republican megadonant
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Justice Clarence Thomas defends luxury trips with a Republican megadonor as ‘hospitality from close personal friends’
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Clarence Thomas responds to luxury vacations report
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Justice Thomas explains why he didn’t report trips paid for by billionaire
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Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips, including to resort
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Justice Thomas responds to report about luxury trips paid by billionaire Harlan Crow
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Clarence Thomas says he wasn’t required to disclose travel costs paid by friends
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Clarence Thomas says trips with billionaire didn’t need to be disclosed at the time
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas responds to report about luxury trips paid by billionaire Harlan Crow
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Clarence Thomas says trips with billionaire didn’t need to be disclosed at the time
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips with megadonor
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Clarence Thomas Defends Undisclosed ‘Family Trips’ with GOP Megadonor. Here Are the Facts.
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Clarence Thomas admits he and wife took trips with GOP donor Harlan Crow: ‘As friends do’
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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thomas defends trips financed by ‘dearest friends’
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to report lavish trips
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Justice Thomas Says He Didn’t Have to Disclose Luxury Trips
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Clarence Thomas says he was not required to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips – Odessa American
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Justice Clarence Thomas Responds To Report Alleging He Took Improper Gifts
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Justice Thomas Says Luxury Trips With GOP Megadonor Did Not Need To Be Reported
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Justice Thomas defends trips taken with ‘dearest friends’ after reports say he accepted gifts
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Justice Thomas says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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Clarence Thomas Defends Undisclosed “Family Trips” with GOP Megadonor. Here Are the Facts.
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Clarence Thomas says he didn’t have to report on his trips on yachts and private jets
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Supreme Court justice says he didn’t have to disclose luxury trips
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