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(CNN) Judge Clarence Thomas did not disclose a real estate deal he made with a major Republican donor in 2014, according to a ProPublica report published Thursday.
According to ProPublica, the deal involved the sale of three properties in Savannah, Georgia, owned by Thomas and his relatives to major donor Harlan Crow. is a dollar.
However, Thomas “never disclosed the sale of the Savannah property,” the report said, adding that an ethics law expert told the outlet that his failure to report it “appears to be against the law.” ” he pointed out.
“This deal marks the first known instance of money flowing from a Republican megadonor to a Supreme Court justice,” ProPublica said in its report.
Thursday’s report detailed a lavish trip with Thomas and his wife Clowes, following a shocking investigation released by ProPublica last week. This included trips on the donor’s yacht and private his jet. The judge also failed to disclose the trip. He later defended his decision not to report it.
CNN has reached out to the Supreme Court and Thomas for comment.
In a statement to CNN, Crow said he purchased the property “so that one day, Thomas’ home will become a public museum dedicated to telling the story of our country’s second black Supreme Court justice. because,’ he said.
He added that it was purchased at a “market price based on many factors such as size, quality and livability of the dwelling.”
The two properties were later sold by Crowe, but according to his statement, the real estate mogul still owns the property where Thomas’ elderly mother lives. Citing county tax records, ProPublica said one of Crow’s companies pays “about $1,500 a year in property taxes on Thomas’ mother’s house.”
An expert told ProPublica that Thomas’ failure to disclose the 2014 deal raises further questions about his relationship with Crowe.
“He had to report his interest in the sale,” Virginia Cantor, a former government ethics attorney who now works for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) in Washington, told the outlet. “Given that Crow played a supporting role in Thomas and his wife’s lifestyle, one has to wonder if this was an effort to put cash in their pockets.
The report could lead to renewed calls for an investigation into the relationship.Following last week’s report, Congressional Democrats called for an investigation into the matter and a tougher ethics code for judges, and some federal judges also gave an opinion.
Earlier this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced plans to hold hearings “on the need to restore confidence in the Supreme Court’s ethical standards,” and at least one watchdog group asked lawmakers to serve as witnesses at the upcoming hearings. I urged him to call Thomas.
This story was updated with additional details on Thursday.
CNN’s Tierney Sneed and Ariane de Vogue contributed to this report.
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