Justice Thomas takes 38 Billionaires funded Vacations
A U.S. Supreme Court judge has raised the issue of misconduct for enjoying 38 vacations organized by billionaires.
Justice Clarence Thomas also allegedly received lavish gifts from wealthy patrons, including flights on private jets, cruises on yachts and expensive sports tickets.
In an investigative report, ProPublica, an American nonprofit news organization, alleges that the gifts were funded by a number of industry titans and very wealthy executives who share Thomas’ ideology.
The gifts appear to have violated the law and judicial standards because the judge did not disclose them.
Thomas has denied any wrongdoing, but the report raises serious questions about his ethical conduct.
According to the report, Thomas has received at least 38 vacations, including a previously unreported trip on a yacht around the Bahamas.
He has also received 26 flights on private jets and eight more by helicopter.
He has also stayed at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica and had a standing invitation to an exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast.
The report raises serious questions about whether Thomas’ relationships with his benefactors created a conflict of interest.
The report also raises questions about whether Thomas is fit to serve on the Supreme Court. Thomas has been a controversial figure since his confirmation in 1991, and the report’s findings suggest he may not be the impartial jurist he claims to be.
One donor, Bruce Sokol, has hosted Thomas at his Florida mansion and Wyoming ranch. Sokol has also arranged for Thomas to attend University of Nebraska-Lincoln sporting events, including soccer and volleyball games.
Another donor, Louis Novelly, has taken Thomas on fishing trips to the Bahamas. Novelly’s yacht, Le Montrachet, is a luxury vessel that charters for $60,000 a week.
Thomas has also benefited from the generosity of other wealthy donors, including John Sokol, Thomas Novelly and Thomas Bergeron.