The judiciary’s policy-making body announced Thursday that the federal courts will not send allegations of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas possibly violating ethics laws to Justice Department.
Thomas has agreed that he will follow updated requirements for reporting gifts and trips, including more clear guidelines regarding hospitality from friends. The Judicial Conference sent a letter to Democratic Senators who called for an investigation of undeclared luxury trips.
Thomas said previously that he was not required to disclose trips taken by him and his wife, which were funded by wealthy donors like Republican megadonor Harlan Crow. This is because the two are personal friends. The court did not immediately respond to Thursday’s request for comment.
In 2023, the Supreme Court adopted its very first code of ethics after receiving a lot of criticism. However, the code is not enforced.
The law is unclear. U.S. district judge Robert Conrad wrote that the Judicial Conference can make a criminal reference regarding a Supreme Court Justice. He is the secretary of the Federal Court System Policy Conference, led by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Conrad stated that a referral is not necessary in this case, as two Democratic Senators had asked Attorney General Merrick G. Garland to name a special prosecutor over the summer. A public announcement of such a appointment has not been made.
Fix the Court stated that the Financial Disclosure Law is clear and it should be applied to justices. The Conference’s letter underscores the need for Congress create a transparent and new mechanism to investigate justices for ethical violations, since the Conference has refused to act on the only method that we assumed existed to do this,” Executive Director Gabe Roth stated in a press release.
Conrad sent a similar reply to another complaint, from the Center for Renewing America (a conservative legal organization), regarding Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s disclosures about the source of consulting income her husband earned. Conrad noted that Jackson had since revised her disclosures, and agreed to new reporting requirements.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-clarence-thomas-f9c9fee5554e5859e7f6185698fb4f76