Thread by @BrettMmurphy

NEW: It's not just Harlan Crow. Clarence Thomas has had a trio of other ultrawealthy patrons — an oil baron, investment guru and corporate titan — funding his luxury travel for decades.

My latest, w/@Amierjeski, plus a thread on the reporting
propublica.org/article/claren…

Each of these patrons appears to have come into Thomas’ life after he was appointed to the Supreme Court, one of the most powerful, sacrosanct government positions in the country.

By the numbers, here’s our accounting of all the trips he’s gotten since the 90s. It’s the most comprehensive to date but still surely an undercount.

Just like Thomas’ travel and real estate deals with Crow, the justice didn’t disclose the trips these other benefactors had provided. This, experts said, is an apparent violation of the law.

“In my career I don't remember ever seeing this degree of largesse given to anybody,” said Jeremy Fogel, a former federal judge who served on the committee that reviewed other judges’ financial disclosures. “I think it’s unprecedented.”

Here’s how we pieced together three decades of secret travel

An example from the story: Labor day weekend 2019, David Sokol — Warren Buffet’s former #2 — flew Thomas in a private jet to Nebraska for the Cornhuskers home opener. They sat in the skybox for the football and volleyball games.

The volleyball coach told a priest there was no room for his 87-year-old mother in the suite because Thomas’ group had taken all the seats.

Then Sokol flew the justice by private plan to his (Sokol’s) $11+ million Jackson Hole ranch. The sprawling, secluded property with vaulted ceilings sits at the base of Shadow Mountain and looks out over the Tetons

The group fished and rafted on Snake River, sat by campfire and, at one point, Mark Paoletta — Thomas’ vocal advocate and longtime friend — serenaded the Justice with a song he and his wife wrote

Sokol defended Thomas and said they never talked politics or court cases. Re: the private jet, he said all justices should fly private or on government aircraft for security reasons. Here’s Sokol’s full statement
documentcloud.org/documents/2390…

Then there's Tony Novelly, an oil baron from St. Louis. He's taken Thomas on board one of his luxury yachts multiple times. We confirmed this with crew members and Novelly’s chauffeur in the Bahamas, who drove Thomas from Novelly’s private jet hangar to the marina.

This Novelly’s yacht Le Montrachet, named the chardonnay vineyard in Burgundy. Often in the spring he takes the yacht bouncing around the Exumas to fish. (Novelly didn’t answer our questions about it.)

Novelly also once brought Thomas to “Alligator” Ron Bergeron’s ranch/wildlife preserve on the edge of the Everglades. Inside, there’s an 1800s-style saloon. Bergeron is one of the biggest developers in Florida. He took the justice on an airboat tour.

At least twice, Wayne Huizenga — the billionaire behind Blockbuster, Waste Management and AutoNation — sent a private 737 jet (he had two) to pick up Thomas up and deliver him to Florida. Thomas was a frequent flier on Huizenga’s aircraft.

Huizenga, who owned the Dolphins, Panthers and Marlins, liked to bring Thomas to the games and training camp. They would often take Huizenga’s helicopter

The justice also stayed at Huizenga’s luxury resort for a party the billionaire was throwing in his private hangar at the airport

Here’s the golf club where Huizenga frequently hosted Thomas in Florida. It was one of the most exclusive clubs in the country. Only ~200 of Huizenga’s best friends got invites and he covered all the costs.

Michael Douglas, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Bloomberg and Matt Lauer were members. Lauer once called the Floridian “a little slice of heaven.”
Trump had once asked for a membership; Huizenga rebuffed him.

We haven’t identified any cases Huizenga, Novelly or Sokol had before the court — though they all work in industries significantly impacted by the court’s decisions. Each of them has also given significant sums to conservative candidates and causes.

Thomas didn't answer our questions but previously said he had received advice that he didn't need to disclose “this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends.”

Huizenga died in 2018 and his son didn’t respond to our questions. But here’s what Thomas once told a private family biographer about their relationship:

Thomas met these tycoons by way of the Horatio Alger Association, a super exclusive nonprofit that gives out college scholarships. For more about Thomas’ history with that group, I’d recommend this Times story
nytimes.com/2023/07/09/us/…

Thomas and Ginni once went to the Ritz on top of a former sugar plantation in Jamaica for a Horatio Alger Association board meeting. Johnny Cash performed.

Two attendees, including another board member, told me it was all expenses paid. The association says it didn’t pay either.

That leaves the hotel owners: the John Rollins family. Rollins, a former trucking tycoon and GOP heavy in Delaware, also happened to be the guy who originally nominated Thomas into the association to begin with.

The Times reported that Thomas gives Horatio Alger folks — including some of the most powerful industrialists in the country — unusual access to the actual SCOTUS building for ceremonies.

We found out that the association actually charges donors for the privilege and fundraises off of the event, requiring donations of at least $1,500 ($7,500 for nonmembers) to attend. From the association archives:

Here’s what one of the experts said about that arrangement

In a statement the association said: “We were proud to honor Justice Thomas more than 30 years ago and remain grateful for his continued involvement in our organization.”

Parting tidbit: In Feb 2016, Thomas flew on Harlan Crow’s private jet from DC to New Haven before heading back on the jet just three hours later. @js_kaplan and @JustinElliott previously reported the flight but newly obtained U.S. Marshals records reveal its purpose …

Thomas was meeting with some Yale Law School deans for a tour of the room where they planned to display a portrait of him.

Crow’s foundation also gave the school $105,000, earmarked for the “Justice Thomas Portrait Fund.”

Read our full story here propublica.org/article/claren…