Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has come under fire by ethics law experts after it was revealed that he received payments from Republican donor Harlan Crow to fund the private education of his grandnephew. Crow paid for the relative to attend Hidden Lake Academy in Georgia, a school with fees of over $6,000 a month. The payments, which exceeded $150,000, were not disclosed in Thomas’ annual financial disclosure statement. Thomas has also accepted private travel on Crow’s jet and yacht and sold him three properties in Georgia.
The revelations come as calls for greater oversight and a formal code of conduct, as well as independent oversight and mandatory compliance with ethics rules, have been made against the Supreme Court. The lack of ethical oversight on the court has been criticised by Democrats, resulting in a hearing on the subject this week.
This is not the first time Thomas has been accused of violating ethics laws. In August, ProPublica reported that Thomas accepted luxury travel from Crow virtually every year for decades, including international superyacht cruises and private jet flights around the world. Additionally, Crow paid money to Thomas and his relatives through an undisclosed real estate deal and donated much of the budget of a political group founded by Thomas’ wife.
The issue with Thomas and his fellow justices is the lack of a formal code of conduct that would mandate disclosure of income and investments to ensure justices aren’t biased. The Supreme Court is the only federal government agency without a formal ethics code, although the justices are bound by a law requiring disclosure of income and gifts. However, the justices have interpreted the law to mean they only have to report gifts from people with interests in cases before the court.
The new revelations have sparked concerns from ethics law experts that the current ethics rules may be too lax and require amendments to address the issue of justices’ ethical conduct. The Supreme Court must take the necessary steps to ensure that transparency and impartiality are maintained. Any ethical violations must be treated with uncompromising severity and appropriate disciplinary measures by the court should be taken to ensure the public’s confidence in the integrity of their institution.
In the wake of intolerance and deterioration of trust in public institutions, it is paramount that the Supreme Court be a pillar of integrity and impartiality which should be reinforced by imposing strict ethical standards in the institution’s code of conduct and by strict observance of the regulations. It is crucial to maintain trust in the Supreme Court’s ability to represent and operate in the best interest of the people despite the current polarized discussions of the court’s role in the US political system.
