A Republican mega-donor who lavished Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas with lavish vacations and gifts for more than two decades reportedly has a disturbing collection of Nazi memorabilia in his lavish $55 million mansion.
Harlan Crow, a billionaire Texas real estate developer who is routinely one of the most generous GOP donors, is under increasing scrutiny after a stash of Nazi artifacts was spotted in his home.
Among the disturbing items is a copy of Mein Kampf signed by Adolf Hitler, a large Swastika-embossed medal, and a collection of napkins printed with the Nazi “Reichsadler” eagle.
Also found in his high-profile property in Texas, which he says is one of the most expensive in the state DMagazineare several hand-painted cityscapes of the Nazi despot and statues of notorious 20th century dictators.
Crow, pictured, is under renewed scrutiny for its collection of artifacts, which reportedly includes a copy of Mein Kampf signed by Adolf Hitler
A photo of Crow’s Nazi-embossed napkins was reportedly taken years ago by an event attendee at his property
Crow’s disturbing collection of Nazi memorabilia also includes a swastika-forged medallion and postage stamps featuring Adolf Hitler’s face
When the Republican held a fundraiser at his estate, the Dallas morning news reported that among the lavish property’s amenities was a series of eyebrow-raising pieces.
A photo of a selection of Nazi napkins is said to have been taken several years ago by an attendee at an event at Crow’s home.
The unnamed person also took a photo of a collection of stamps featuring Adolf Hitler’s face in a display case, accompanied by a large black swastika-wrought medallion.
“I still can’t get over the collection of Nazi memorabilia,” said a visitor to Crow’s home The Washingtonian.
“It would have been helpful if someone explained the meaning of all the items. Without that context you just gasp when you walk into the room.’
The 74-year-old is one of the wealthiest real estate developers in Texas and is the chairman of a highly successful private investment company, Crow Holdings, which oversees a $29 billion empire, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Crow has donated millions to Republican campaigns and causes over the years, and gifts presented to Thomas included a bust of Abraham Lincoln and a $19,000 bible that once belonged to Frederick Douglass.
According to MarketWatch, Republican candidates who have benefited from Crow’s donations include Texas Governor Greg Abbott and 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
He reportedly seemed uneasy when confronted about his far-right collectibles in 2014, instead noting other valuable assets, such as a striking floor-to-ceiling library filled with classic works.
However, both the outside and inside of the house are said to be decorated with disturbing objects, with its “Garden of Evil” filled with countless statues of murderous dictators.
Notorious Russian tyrants Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin, whom the Dallas outlet calls a “historic nod to the facts of man’s inhumanity to man,” are joined on the ground by other autocrats such as Romania’s Nicolae Ceausescu and Josip Broz Tito from Yugoslavia.
Notably, the statues were not commissioned by Crow, and he has admitted that he bought them after they were thrown from public squares by angry citizens.
According to The Washingtonian, Crow claimed his Lenin statue is covered in white streaks after Russian dissidents covered it in paint, while Stalin’s effigy is missing parts after it was vandalized by anti-communist revolutionaries.
When asked about his sculpture collection, he reportedly said he bought them because he despises communism and fascism.
A signed copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf on display prior to an auction in London, England in 2005. It is unclear if this image is the book purchased by Crow
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, pictured, reportedly accepted dozens of lavish gifts and holidays from GOP mega-donor Harlan Crow over decades
Crow, left, says he has been a “dear friend” of Judge Thomas, right, for many years. They are pictured together during a holiday in Indonesia in 2019
Previous reports of Crow’s disturbing collection have been unearthed after details of his decades-long relationship with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas came to light.
The billionaire reportedly provided Thomas with lavish vacations and gifts, which he says Thomas has not disclosed ProPublic.
According to Politico, Crow donated $500,000 to Thomas’s wife Ginni to help found her now-defunct conservative group Liberty Central.
However, Thomas has denied any allegations. In a statement following the allegations, he said: “Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over twenty-five years.
“As friends do, we’ve taken them on a number of family outings in the more than quarter-century we’ve known them.
“At the beginning of my tenure on the Court, I sought the advice of my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was told that this kind of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who had no business before the Court, could not be reported. ‘
Crow has also insisted that his relationship with Thomas and his wife was “no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends.”
“We have never asked about a pending or lower court case, and Judge Thomas has never discussed one, and we have never tried to influence Judge Thomas on any legal or political issue,” he said in a statement to ProPublica.