Justice Clarence Thomas didn’t release his financial disclosure forms Wednesday when the majority of his Supreme Court colleagues did so, further blocking transparency amid a torrent of criticism over his failure to disclose years of lavish trips and a private real estate transaction with a GOP megadonor.
The paperwork – mandated by federal law – requires members of the judiciary to publicly disclose their personal financial interest over the past year and detail income, investments, gifts and spousal salaries.
The deadline to release the reports was Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET, but justices are allowed to ask for an extension, and Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito did so, according to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
The move means that any official information about Thomas’ relationship with the donor, Texas real estate magnate Harlan Crow, may not be released until after the end of the current Supreme Court term, and major rulings come down on election law, religious liberty, affirmative action and student loans, among other issues.
The Supreme Court has been under a microscope this year as critics argue the justices are not doing enough to ensure transparency when it comes to ethics guidelines, and the late filings by Thomas and Alito could further fuel claims by watchdog groups and others that the justices are not taking seriously their concerns.
Wednesday’s release of the financial reports marks the first time they will be posted electronically.Eyes will be on the new forms to see if the justices are offering more information about income, reimbursements, gifts, personal hospitality, investments and trusts over the year-long period to reflect an understanding of renewed interest in their lives off the bench.
Public scrutiny of Thomas intensified earlier this spring after ProPublica released a report detailing the…
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