(Washington) One of the two most conservative judges of the American Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas, criticized for having benefited from the largesse of a Republican billionaire, admitted that he had paid for two luxurious stays in 2019, according to his official statements released by the media on Friday.
In these documents for 2023 dated May 15, Clarence Thomas indicates completing his previous declarations to add his accommodation and food costs paid by billionaire Harlan Crow and his wife Katy during a stay in July 2019 in Bali (Indonesia). ) then another in California, in the western United States.
Clarence Thomas and another very conservative Supreme Court justice, Samuel Alito, were singled out for the largesse they received from Republican billionaires, including in the form of trips or stays.
In 2023, Clarence Thomas, dean of the Court, where he has served since 1991, had already acknowledged in his financial declaration for 2022 that he had notably traveled free of charge on a private plane of the businessman for reasons of “security », after a series of revelations in the media.
In May, during a conference, he pushed back against the “wickedness” and “lies” that he said his family had been subjected to in the microcosm of Washington.
Under pressure, the Supreme Court adopted a code of conduct in November, without silencing criticism due to the absence of any sanction or enforcement mechanism.
In addition to very general principles, particularly on conflicts of interest, this code sets out rules regarding participation in public events or acceptance of gifts.