Khanna, Jayapal, Krishnamoorthi denounce Clarence Thomas’ secret trips as ethics violation

ProPublica report reveals that Thomas “has accepted luxury trips virtually every year from” a GOP donor “without disclosing them.”

Following a bombshell ProPublica report that linked Supreme Court Justice Clarence to a billionaire GOP donor rocked Washington, Indian American lawmakers criticized the conservative jurist and called for more stringent ethics rules for justices, who have lifetime appointments.

The investigative news outlet revealed Thursday that conservative Thomas, the oldest and longest-serving Supreme Court justice, “has accepted luxury trips virtually every year from” Dallas businessman Harlan Crow “without disclosing them.”

“The extent and frequency of Crow’s apparent gifts to Thomas have no known precedent in the modern history of the U.S. Supreme Court,” ProPublica wrote. “These trips appeared nowhere on Thomas’ financial disclosures. His failure to report the flights appears to violate a law passed after Watergate that requires justices, judges, members of Congress and federal officials to disclose most gifts,” it said quoting two ethics law experts.

“We need a code of ethics and term limits for Supreme Court Justices.” Tweeted Rep. Ro Khanna, D-CA, who has, in the past introduced a bill calling for a term limit for judges.

We need a code of ethics and term limits for Supreme Court Justices. https://t.co/ysdKkOVIu8

— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) April 6, 2023

Khanna’s fellow progressive House colleague Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), echoed the view. “It’s time for a major ethical overhaul of our highest court — that’s why [Sen. Elizabeth Warren] and I have a bill to impose a code of conduct on our judicial system. People deserve impartial judges and justices who aren’t beholden to special interests or to their personal agenda,” she tweeted.

In another tweet, the Washington Democrat pointed out that there “are already concerns of a conflict of interest surrounding Justice Thomas and his wife’s efforts to overturn a free and fair election.”

It's time for a major ethical overhaul of our highest court — that's why @SenWarren and I have a bill to impose a code of conduct on our judicial system. People deserve impartial judges and justices who aren’t beholden to special interests or to their personal agenda.

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) April 6, 2023

Jayapal was referring to a campaign by Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, a conservative activist, who called on former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to help overturn the 2020 presidential election result, which was won by President Joe Biden. She also contacted Republican legislators from two states that incumbent President Donald Trump narrowly lost to Biden, asking them to send a pro-Trump alternate slate of electors, ignoring the election results.

“This is unacceptable behavior from any Supreme Court justice, especially one who did not recuse himself from McDonnell v. United States (2016), which concerned whether government officials accepting free gifts from political donors is a crime,” tweeted Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-IL.

This is unacceptable behavior from any Supreme Court justice, especially one who did not recuse himself from McDonnell v. United States (2016), which concerned whether government officials accepting free gifts from political donors is a crime. https://t.co/Tdg9ynPF8p

— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) April 6, 2023

McDonnell v. United States refers to a U.S. Supreme Court case involving former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who was convicted of corruption charges for accepting gifts and loans from a businessman in return for political favors.