A recent report by ProPublica has revealed that billionaire GOP megadonor Harlan Crow paid for the private school tuition of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's grandnephew, Mark Martin. The payments were made via scholarships to elite boarding schools Hidden Lake Academy in Georgia and Randolph-Macon Academy in Virginia. This latest revelation has sparked ethics concerns and calls for Thomas to resign due to his undisclosed financial relationship with Crow.
Under federal law, Supreme Court justices are required to disclose gifts made to them, their spouses or a dependent child. However, it appears that Thomas failed to disclose these large sums given on behalf of Martin.
The bank statement from July 2009 showed at least one month's fees being paid by Crow Holdings – a real estate and development firm run by Harlan Crow. If he had covered the entire cost of Martin's education at both institutions over four years, this would amount to more than $150,000.
In defense against allegations of judicial misconduct relating to his financial dealings with Crow, Thomas claimed that he did not have "business before the court." Nevertheless, Democrats have seized upon these examples as reasons for calling on him either resignation or impeachment—though experts say such an outcome is unlikely.
A former administrator at Hidden Lake Academy told ProPublica that Harlan Crow paid the entirety of Martin’s annual $6,000-a-month tuition bill while also covering costs at a second boarding school: Randolph-Macon Academy in Virginia. Though it remains unclear what the total sum amounted over those years spent attending both schools might be—it could well exceed $150k—the situation raises further ethical questions surrounding their relationship.
These payments are likely only going add fuel already burning following previous accusations concerning luxury vacations taken together aboard mega-yachts and chartered private jets—all funded by Mr.Crow. Justice Thomas has denied any wrongdoing in these matters, maintaining that his failure to disclose Crow's tuition payments was not intentional.
The relationship between Justice Clarence Thomas and GOP donor Harlan Crow has come under increasing scrutiny since ProPublica first reported on their close ties. In light of these recent findings, questions continue to mount regarding the ethical implications surrounding their financial dealings together—specifically as they pertain Martin’s education at prestigious boarding schools Hidden Lake Academy in northern Georgia and Randolph-Macon Academy in Virginia.