Clarence Thomas cites safety worries for private jet travel post Dobbs leak.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Takes Private Jet Flights Due to Security Concerns
In a recent financial disclosure for calendar year 2022, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas revealed that he took private jet flights in the spring of last year. The reason behind this decision was the security concerns that arose following the leak of a draft opinion on the Dobbs case. The disclosure states that the trip to Dallas in May 2022 was paid for by Republican donor Harlan Crow, a longtime friend of Thomas.
“Because of the increased security risk following the Dobbs opinion leak,” the report said, “the May flights were by private plane for official travel as filer’s security detail recommended noncommercial travel whenever possible”
The reimbursement for the trip included meals and transportation, as Thomas was a keynote speaker at the American Enterprise Institute’s Conference at Old Parkland. The disclosure also revealed other trips paid for by Crow in 2022. Additionally, the report provided details about financial and real estate matters dating back several years to address prior omissions and offer additional information on issues that have garnered media attention.
Leak of Roe v. Wade Draft Opinion
In May 2022, POLITICO obtained and published a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito indicating that Roe v. Wade would be overturned. This leak had serious consequences, as it put the justices who were thought to be in the majority at risk. Justice Alito himself stated that the leak made them targets for assassination.
Indeed, in June 2022, a man was arrested and charged with allegedly attempting to murder fellow conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. GOP lawmakers have also pressed Attorney General Merrick Garland on enforcing a federal law against protests outside Supreme Court justices’ homes.
Investigation into the Leak
Chief Justice John Roberts assigned the Supreme Court’s marshal, Gail Curley, to investigate the leak. However, the inquiry concluded in January without identifying the responsible party.
Financial Disclosure Reports
Justice Thomas and Justice Alito released their 2022 financial disclosure reports on Thursday after receiving 90-day extensions. These reports come in the midst of growing scrutiny from congressional Democrats over concerns of improper gift and trip disclosures. The filings were prompted by reports from ProPublica, and the Judicial Conference issued new guidance in March to reinforce personal hospitality disclosure rules.
In response to the allegations, an attorney representing Justice Thomas stated that the new disclosure report “answers — and utterly refutes — the charges trumped up in this partisan feeding frenzy.”
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