Who is Harlan Crow? The real estate magnate and GOP megadonor's relationship to Clarence Thomas

Ken Tran, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepted undisclosed luxury gifts from Harlan Crow, a billionaire and Republican megadonor, in what could be a violation of a law that requires justices, judges, and members of Congress to disclose most gifts, according to a new report.

Over the past 20 years, Thomas and his wife Ginni Thomas went on lavish vacations, flying in Crow’s private jet, traveling in his superyacht and vacationing at Crow’s private resort – trips all funded by Crow yet all undisclosed by Thomas, ProPublica reported Thursday.

Crow told ProPublica in a statement that: “The hospitality we have extended to the Thomases over the years is no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends.”

Here’s what to know about Harlan Crow.

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Associate Justice Clarence Thomas joins other members of the Supreme Court as they pose for a new group portrait, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022.
Associate Justice Clarence Thomas joins other members of the Supreme Court as they pose for a new group portrait, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022.

What is Crow’s relationship to Clarence Thomas?

After Thomas became a justice, Crow became close friends with him and Thomas’ wife, Ginni Thomas. Crow helped finance a museum dedicated to the history of Thomas’ hometown, Pin Point, Georgia, the New York Times reported in 2011.

Crow also donated $500,000 to Ginni Thomas to start Liberty Central, a now dissolved conservative group established in 2009 during the Tea Party movement. Back then, Crow’s donations and relationships with the Thomases raised ethics concerns as well.

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Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, left and his wife Virginia Thomas, right, leave the the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington after attending funeral services of the late Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, on Feb. 20, 2016.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, left and his wife Virginia Thomas, right, leave the the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington after attending funeral services of the late Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, on Feb. 20, 2016.

Who is Harlan Crow?

Crow is a real estate magnate, known for being a prominent GOP megadonor, having helped found the influential anti-tax conservative group, Club for Growth. Crow also sits on the board of trustees for the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

According to ProPublica, Crow has publicly disclosed over $10 million in political contributions, but it is unknown how much of his donations are undisclosed, having told the New York Times that he does not “disclose what I’m not required to disclose.”

More: In defending gifts from a GOP billionaire, Clarence Thomas raises more questions among his critics

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Harlan Crow? How Clarence Thomas knows the GOP megadonor

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