Justice Clarence Thomas’s involvement in a wealthy and exclusive club is under scrutiny during ongoing developments regarding potential ethical concerns surrounding some of the justices.
Months after securing his seat on the Supreme Court in highly contentious confirmation hearings, Thomas joined the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, named after the Gilded Age author.
JANET YELLEN SAYS RISK OF RECESSION 'NOT COMPLETELY OFF THE TABLE'
Thomas’s connections through the club allegedly allowed him and his wife, Virginia Thomas, to join on vacation retreats, V.I.P. access to sporting events, and other lavish events, the New York Times reported on Sunday. One other member of the club, David Sokol, the one-time heir apparent to Warren Buffett, described the Thomas’s as “close personal friends” in 2015 and have hosted them at their Montana ranch and waterfront mansion in Florida.
Thomas also allegedly received benefits from other Horatio Alger members, some of whom are major donors to conservative causes with broad policy and political interests in Supreme Court decisions, even if not directly involved in the cases.
Justice Thomas’s relationships with wealthy elites have gained significant attention in recent months amid speculation that he had violated ethical standards, despite pushback both from him and Republicans, who have alleged this is a campaign to smear conservative justices.
ProPublica previously reported that he took several trips with a billionaire GOP donor and friend Harlan Crow that were undisclosed, while fellow Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito allegedly took an expensive trip with a different friend, Paul Singer, to an Alaskan fishing lodge in 2008. The outlet also revealed undisclosed real estate transactions between the Thomas's and Crow, who paid the tuition for one of Thomas's relatives.
Both justices have defended the friendships and trips, but Democrats have attacked the apparent conflicts of interest.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“After a multi-decade, special interest-funded effort to reshape the federal judiciary, the fanatical MAGA Right have captured the Supreme Court and achieved dangerous, regressive policies that they could never attain at the ballot box," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in late June. "This MAGA-captured Supreme Court feels free to accept lavish gifts and vacations from their powerful, big-monied friends, all while they refuse to help everyday Americans."
The Supreme Court's decisions this term, from dismantling race-based affirmative action college admissions programs to blocking Biden's student loan debt forgiveness proposal and siding with an anti-gay Colorado wedding website designer, are among the decisions that have led to criticism from Democrats, as well.