WASHINGTON — Justice Clarence Thomas belatedly acknowledged Friday more travel expenses paid by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, while several colleagues reported six-figure payments as part of book deals.
Thomas, who has faced criticism for failing to report luxury trips paid for by Crow and others for years, said in his annual financial disclosure that Crow paid for a single night’s hotel room in Bali, Indonesia, in 2019, and food and lodging at a private club in Sonoma County, California. He did not report any travel expenses from others last year.
The revelation about Indonesia is curious about what it leaves out: the rest of the trip. ProPublica reported last year that Thomas flew to Indonesia on Crow’s private jet and then boarded his superyacht for an island tour, one of many trips Crow has given Thomas and his wife Ginni over the years.
Another justice, Ketanji Brown Jacksonreported eye-popping numbers, an advance of nearly $900,000 for her upcoming memoir, and high-profile gifts, four tickets to a Beyoncé concert worth $3,700 from the singer herself.
Jackson was one of the four High Council judges who reported significant income from book deals. Judge Brett Kavanaugh reported that he had received $340,000 from the conservative publishing house Regnery. The company was sold and the book will be published by an imprint at Hachette Book Group, according to Axios, which also reported this week that Kavanaugh’s book will be about his controversial confirmation hearing that included allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. The court confirmed on Friday that the judge is writing a legal memoir.
Justices Neil Gorsuch and Sonia Sotomayor reported royalty income of $250,000 and nearly $90,000, respectively.
In their daily duties, the justices are paid $298,500 this year, with the exception of Chief Justice John Roberts, who makes $312,200.
The only judge whose report was not available Friday is Samuel Alito, who was granted an extension of up to 90 days, as he gets most years. Justice has been examined separately about flags flying outside the houses he owned. He has said that they were raised by his wife.
Jackson, the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court, signed a book deal shortly after taking her seat in 2022. The book ‘Lovely One’ will be published in September.
The total value of her book deal has not been made public, but is expected to match or exceed what Sotomayor was paid for her memoir, “My Beloved World,” more than $3 million.
Of the current justices, only Roberts, Alito and Justice Elena Kagan have not made book deals so far. Thomas received a $1.5 million advance, staggering at the time, for his 2007 book, “My Grandfather’s Son.” Judge Amy Coney Barrett reported in 2022 that she had received $425,000 for a yet-to-be-released book, part of a $2 million deal she signed shortly after joining the court in 2020.
The revelations paint a partial picture of the judges’ finances, as they are not required to disclose the value of their homes or, for those who are married, the salaries of their spouses.
The judges adopted a code of ethics in November, although there is no enforcement mechanism. The code considers travel, food and lodging as expenses and not gifts, for which monetary values must be reported. Judges do not have to attach value to expenditures.
In March, the federal judiciary began requiring judges to disclose travel-related gifts and their values — rather than reporting such gifts as refunds. The judges say they generally follow the same rules, but Thomas did not reveal the cost of the Bali hotel.
Some Democratic lawmakers continue to push for legislation that would require the court to adopt a binding code of conduct and provide for investigations into alleged violations. But the prospect of such legislation is seen as unlikely in a closely divided Congress.
Only two judges reported receiving gifts last year. Thomas said Terrence Giroux and his wife gave him two photo albums worth $2,000. Giroux is executive director emeritus of the Horatio Alger Association.
Jackson received artwork for her Supreme Court office valued at $12,500. And then there were the Beyoncé tickets, worth more than $900 each. Beyoncé performed two concerts in the Washington area in August 2023, although Jackson’s revelation does not say when or what the tickets were for.
“Judge Jackson does Crazy in Love with Beyoncé’s music,” Supreme Court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said, referring to a Beyoncé song. “Who not?”