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Clarence Thomas Sold House To GOP Donor Harlan Crow, Report Says

Clarence Thomas Sold House To GOP Donor Harlan Crow, Report Says

Topline

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sold real estate to Republican donor Harlan Crow and did not disclose the sales, ProPublica reported Thursday, shedding more light on their relationship after Thomas was criticized last week for accepting luxury travel from Crow.

Key Facts

In 2014, real estate developer Crow bought a single-story home and two vacant lots in Savannah, Georgia, from an entity registered to Thomas, Thomas’ mother and the family of Thomas’ late brother, according to public records obtained by ProPublica.

The $133,363 transaction marks the first known instance of payments between Crow and Thomas, a week after ProPublica first reported the Supreme Court Justice had traveled on Crow’s yacht and jet without disclosing it.

Thomas reportedly never disclosed his sale of the Savannah properties, which some experts described to ProPublica as a possible violation of a federal law that requires justices to disclose most real estate sales over $1,000.

The disclosure form Thomas filed for that year had a space to report the identity of any buyers in private transactions, but that space is left blank.

Thomas’ mother continued to live in the house under Crow’s ownership, and the property underwent major renovations after the sale, including the addition of a carport and roof repairs, ProPublica reported.

In a statement to the publication, Crow said he purchased the house to preserve it with the intention of eventually making it into a public museum about Thomas’ life.

Forbes has reached out to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Key Background

ProPublica reported last week Thomas and his wife Ginni had accepted luxury travel from Crow, including sailing internationally on Crow’s yacht, flying in Crow’s private jet and vacationing at Crow’s private resort in the Adirondacks. Thomas said he didn’t disclose the trips with Crow and his wife Kathy—whom he described as “dear friends”—because he was advised that he does not need to declare “personal hospitality,” though ethics experts interviewed by ProPublica note that gifts of transportation are normally reported. Crow is the chairperson and former CEO of Crow Holdings, and is the son of Fred Crow, who founded Dallas-based real estate development giant Trammell Crow Co. Crow has also been a major supporter of the Republican party (Thomas was appointed by Republican George H. W. Bush), and was the largest donor to the Republican Party of Texas PAC during the 2022 midterm election, according to OpenSecrets data. Crow has donated more than $10 million in publicly disclosed political contributions, along with giving to groups that keep contributors’ identities secret, according to ProPublica.

Crucial Quote

“Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable,” Thomas said of his relationship with Crow in a statement following ProPublica’s report. “I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines.”

What To Watch For

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday announced plans to hold a hearing about “the need to restore confidence in the Supreme Court’s ethical standards” in the coming days. The nine Supreme Court justices are the only federal judges not bound by the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges, but the report about Thomas’ luxury travel has renewed calls for stricter ethics codes in the Supreme Court. Following the report, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told CNN Thomas should be impeached, while other Democrat Reps. Ilhan Omar and Judy Chu tweeted their support of stronger ethical standards. Before the revelations about Thomas were published, fifteen Democrats had signed a letter in late March outlining a code of ethics for justices to adopt.

Tangent

Thomas’ wife, Ginni, has also been the subject of controversy because of her alleged connection with the January 6 riots following the 2020 presidential election results. The Washington Post reported she sent two sets of emails to 29 Republican state lawmakers in Arizona urging them to overturn President Joe Biden’s win in their state. Ginni Thomas has stressed her work is separate from her husband’s, telling The Free Beacon, “we do not discuss cases until opinions are public—and even then, our discussions have always been very general and limited to public information.”

Further Reading

Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire (ProPublica)

Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didn’t Disclose the Deal. (ProPublica)

Clarence Thomas Calls Harlan Crow And Wife ‘Personal Friends’ Who Provided Private Jet And Trips On Superyacht (Forbes)

Clarence Thomas Has Reportedly Been Accepting Gifts From Republican Megadonor Harlan Crow For Decades—And Never Disclosed It (Forbes)

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The most expensive homes sold in Durham County the week of Dec. 18

The most expensive homes sold in Durham County the week of Dec. 18

A household in Durham that bought for $5.6 million tops the list of the most expensive real estate sales in Durham County in the earlier 7 days.

In full, 45 true estate gross sales ended up recorded in the space in the course of the last week, with an common price of $550,244, $259 per square foot.

The prices in the record down below worry true estate product sales in which the title was recorded for the duration of the 7 days of Dec. 19., even if the property may well have been sold earlier.

  • $5.6 million, single-relatives home in the 400 block of Rosemont Drive

    The property in the 400 block of Rosemont Travel in Durham has new homeowners. The value was $5,600,000. The household was created in 2004 and has a living area of 11,809 square toes. The price for every square foot is $474.

  • $1.1 million, detached property in the 100 block of Crimson Oak Travel

    The home in the 100 block of Crimson Oak Travel in Durham has new house owners. The price was $1,088,000. The property was constructed in 2006 and has a living area of 4,275 square ft. The rate for every sq. foot is $255.

  • $1 million, one-family members home in the 900 block of Oakland Avenue

    The 1,208 sq.-foot one-relatives residence in the 900 block of Oakland Avenue, Durham, has now been offered. The transfer of ownership was settled in December and the overall acquire cost was $1,000,000, $828 for every sq. foot. The house was created in 1929.

  • $700,000, townhouse in the 1000 block of Laurelwood Push

    A sale has been finalized for the townhouse in the 1000 block of Laurelwood Travel in Durham. The cost was $700,000 and the new house owners took around the house in December. The home was constructed in 2020 and the living area totals 2,437 square feet. The selling price per sq. foot ended up at $287.

  • $700,000, single-loved ones dwelling in the 2700 block of Montgomery Street

    The 3,316 sq.-foot one-family house in the 2700 block of Montgomery Street in Durham has now been bought. The transfer of ownership was settled in December and the total buy rate was $700,000, $211 for every sq. foot. The property was developed in 1967.

  • $692,000, single-family home in the 1100 block of Belvins Trace Drive

    The sale of the one household home in the 1100 block of Belvins Trace Push in Durham has been finalized. The price tag was $692,000, and the new homeowners took more than the property in December. The house was constructed in 2015 and has a dwelling space of 2,914 square ft. The price for every square foot was $237.

  • $605,000, detached residence in the first block of Birchcrest Court docket

    The sale of the solitary-household home in the initial block of Birchcrest Court, Durham, has been finalized. The price was $605,000, and the residence altered arms in December. The house was crafted in 1986 and has a residing region of 2,710 square ft. The price for every square foot was $223.

  • $545,000, solitary-family residence in the 700 block of Wellingham Generate

    The sale of the solitary-spouse and children home in the 700 block of Wellingham Push, Durham, has been finalized. The price tag was $545,000, and the new homeowners took around the residence in December. The residence was developed in 1994 and has a residing area of 2,403 sq. feet. The price tag for every sq. foot was $227.

  • $535,000, solitary-loved ones household in the 300 block of Wendover Court

    The sale of the one household home in the 300 block of Wendover Court docket in Durham has been finalized. The value was $535,000, and the new homeowners took over the household in December. The household was designed in 1995 and has a living place of 2,224 square feet. The cost for each square foot was $241.

  • $530,000, townhouse in the 1200 block of Tannin Drive

    The 2,332 square-foot townhouse in the 1200 block of Tannin Push, Durham, has now been sold. The transfer of possession was settled in December and the overall acquire price was $530,000, $227 for each sq. foot. The house was built in 2019.