In 2019, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas publicly disclosed five trips that were paid for by someone else: a series of teaching and speaking engagements at U.S. law schools and colleges. He reported receiving no gifts.
That version of Thomas’s travel itinerary didn’t include a June 2019 trip revealed this week by the investigative journalism outlet ProPublica: a nine-day vacation to Indonesia that included a flight on a private jet and a stay on a super yacht, both owned by billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow.
The contrast between Thomas’ reported and unreported activities in 2019 highlights the gaps in information found in the annual financial disclosures filed by justices and federal judges. These forms call for a public accounting of reimbursed travel — transportation, lodging, food, and entertainment — and gifts, but the judiciary has carved out exemptions for "social” and "personal” hospitality.
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