Dem
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GOP
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The free vacations Justice Clarence Thomas got from billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow are only the tip of the iceberg. According to an article published in yesterday's New York Times, Thomas has received many more valuable gifts from many more people than previously known. He didn't list any of these on his disclosure forms.
Shortly after being confirmed to the Supreme Court on Oct. 15, 1991, Thomas joined the Horatio Alger Association, a club for extraordinarily wealthy white conservatives who were happy to have a powerful Black person as a member. The people he met there welcomed him and his wife at their exclusive vacation retreats, got him VIP access to top sports events, and invited him to lavish parties. For example, for years he made annual visits to South Florida to pal around with the late Wayne Huizenga, founder of Blockbuster Video and then-owner of the Miami Dolphins. Thomas is also good friends with multimillionaire David Sokol, who was at one time seen as the successor to Warren Buffett at the Berkshire Hathaway company, but left in disgrace in 2011. Many of these people have keen interest in how the Supreme Court rules on many cases, even if they are not a direct party in the cases.
Thomas has helped out the Association in ways that are not illegal, but are still sleazy. He has allowed the annual induction ceremony of new Association members to be held in the hallowed Supreme Court chambers. During the ceremony, he presents each one with a Horatio Alger Association medallion. It's the closest thing to being knighted in the U.S. The incredibly rich members seem to appreciate that Thomas could give them something no one else can. In return, in addition to vacations and gifts, the Association made him an honorary board member and created prep-school scholarships named for his son. They are for students at prep schools Thomas' relatives were attending.
The news of all the other gifts Thomas has received broke on a Sunday. Expect some comments from members of Congress today. (V)