Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Thomas Sold Real Estate to Mega-Donor Friend, Didn't Report Deal, Says Report
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 2 years ago on
April 14, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Conservative mega-donor Harlan Crow purchased three properties belonging to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his family, in a transaction worth more than $100,000 that Thomas never reported, according to the non-profit investigative journalism organization ProPublica.

The 2014 real estate deal shines a new light on Thomas’s decades old relationship with Crow, a real estate magnate and longtime financier for conservative causes. That relationship and the material benefits received by Thomas have fueled calls for an official ethics investigation.

ProPublica previously revealed that Thomas and his wife Ginni were gifted with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of annual vacations and trips by Crow for decades — including international cruises on his mega-yacht, private jet flights and stays at Crow’s invitation-only resort in the Adirondacks. But the 2014 real estate deal is the first public evidence of a direct financial transaction between the pair.

Citing state tax documents and property deeds, ProPublica reported that one of Crow’s companies paid $133,363 for the home in Savannah, Georgia where Thomas’ mother was living, along with two nearby vacant lots that belonged to Thomas’ family members. Thomas mother remained living in the home, which soon underwent tens of thousands of dollars in renovations.

Federal officials, including Supreme Court justices, are required to disclose the details of most real estate transactions with a value of over $1,000. Thomas would not be required to report the purchase if the property was his or his spouse’s primary personal residence, but this stipulation does not apply to this purchase, which Thomas did not report.

Both Thomas and Crow have released statements downplaying the significance of the gifts, with Thomas maintaining that he was not required to disclose the trips. Crow responded to the latest disclosure with a statement to ProPublica saying that he approached Thomas about the purchase with an eye on honoring his legacy.

“My intention is to one day create a public museum at the Thomas home dedicated to telling the story of our nation’s second black Supreme Court Justice,” the statement said. “Justice Thomas’s story represents the best of America.”

Thomas’ office did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Has America Given Up on Children’s Learning?

DON'T MISS

Could Trump Team Suspend Habeas Corpus to Expedite Deportations?

DON'T MISS

Two Teens Charged in Shooting Death of Caleb Quick

DON'T MISS

India and Pakistan Agree to a Ceasefire After Their Worst Military Escalation in Decades

DON'T MISS

Ukraine and Allies Urge Putin to Commit to a 30-Day Ceasefire or Face New Sanctions

DON'T MISS

Soviet-Era Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

DON'T MISS

Tax the Rich? Slash Spending? Republicans Wrestle With Economic Priorities in the Trump Era

DON'T MISS

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 23 in Gaza as Outcry Over Aid Blockade Grows

DON'T MISS

Experts Call Kennedy’s Plan to find Autism’s Cause Unrealistic

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Trip to Saudi Arabia Raises the Prospect of US Nuclear Cooperation With the Kingdom

UP NEXT

Could Trump Team Suspend Habeas Corpus to Expedite Deportations?

UP NEXT

Two Teens Charged in Shooting Death of Caleb Quick

UP NEXT

India and Pakistan Agree to a Ceasefire After Their Worst Military Escalation in Decades

UP NEXT

Ukraine and Allies Urge Putin to Commit to a 30-Day Ceasefire or Face New Sanctions

UP NEXT

Soviet-Era Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

UP NEXT

Tax the Rich? Slash Spending? Republicans Wrestle With Economic Priorities in the Trump Era

UP NEXT

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 23 in Gaza as Outcry Over Aid Blockade Grows

UP NEXT

Experts Call Kennedy’s Plan to find Autism’s Cause Unrealistic

UP NEXT

Trump’s Trip to Saudi Arabia Raises the Prospect of US Nuclear Cooperation With the Kingdom

UP NEXT

Oh Ohtani! Dodgers Star Hits 3-Run Homer in Late Rally Victory Over Diamondbacks

India and Pakistan Agree to a Ceasefire After Their Worst Military Escalation in Decades

6 hours ago

Ukraine and Allies Urge Putin to Commit to a 30-Day Ceasefire or Face New Sanctions

6 hours ago

Soviet-Era Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

6 hours ago

Tax the Rich? Slash Spending? Republicans Wrestle With Economic Priorities in the Trump Era

6 hours ago

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 23 in Gaza as Outcry Over Aid Blockade Grows

6 hours ago

Experts Call Kennedy’s Plan to find Autism’s Cause Unrealistic

6 hours ago

Trump’s Trip to Saudi Arabia Raises the Prospect of US Nuclear Cooperation With the Kingdom

6 hours ago

Oh Ohtani! Dodgers Star Hits 3-Run Homer in Late Rally Victory Over Diamondbacks

6 hours ago

Tariff Talks Begin Between US and Chinese Officials in Geneva

7 hours ago

Summer Movie Guide 2025: Here’s What’s Coming to Theaters and Streaming From May to August

7 hours ago

Has America Given Up on Children’s Learning?

What happened to learning as a national priority? For decades, both Republicans and Democrats strove to be seen as champions of student achi...

2 hours ago

https://www.communitymedical.org/thecause?utm_source=Misfit+Digital&utm_medium=GVWire+Banner+Ads&utm_campaign=Branding+2025&utm_content=thecause
2 hours ago

Has America Given Up on Children’s Learning?

4 hours ago

Could Trump Team Suspend Habeas Corpus to Expedite Deportations?

The Clovis Police Department identified two suspects they have arrested in connection with the murder of Caleb Quick, 18, at a Saturday, May 10, 2025, news conference. (GV Wire Composite)
6 hours ago

Two Teens Charged in Shooting Death of Caleb Quick

6 hours ago

India and Pakistan Agree to a Ceasefire After Their Worst Military Escalation in Decades

6 hours ago

Ukraine and Allies Urge Putin to Commit to a 30-Day Ceasefire or Face New Sanctions

6 hours ago

Soviet-Era Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

6 hours ago

Tax the Rich? Slash Spending? Republicans Wrestle With Economic Priorities in the Trump Era

6 hours ago

Israeli Airstrikes Kill 23 in Gaza as Outcry Over Aid Blockade Grows

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend