Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas reportedly intends to amend his financial disclosure forms to report a 2014 real estate deal that was made with a Republican megadonor.
What Happened: The deal relates to the sale of three Georgia properties and was made with Harlan Crow, a real estate entrepreneur who is a close friend of Thomas, according to a CNN report, quoting a person familiar with the matter.
The source said Thomas has always filled out forms with the help of aides, and that it was an oversight that the real estate transaction was not reported.
Thomas believed that he didn't have to disclose the transaction since he had lost money in the deal, according to the source.
Crow said that he purchased the properties 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," reported CNN.
Why It Matters: The deal reportedly involved the sale of three properties, including one where Thomas' mother Leola Williams still resides.
Crow still owns the house where Thomas' mother lives, but two other properties were sold, according to CNN.
"If you're a Supreme Court justice, and you sell a property you own, you have to list the transaction in your annual disclosure. That's the law — even if Justice Thomas lost money, and even if the sale was to build a museum one day," said Gabe Roth, the head of Fix the Court, a group which advocates for greater transparency on the Supreme Court, reported CNN.
Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called for Thomas' impeachment after ProPublica reported that the Supreme Court judge's travel was paid for by Crow.
Photo: Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
