About the Debate Over the US Supreme Court and Ethics: QuickTake

US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is under scrutiny for his acceptance of financial largesse from Texas billionaire Harlan Crow, following reports that he didn’t disclose tuition payments for his grandnephew’s private school, a property sale or lavish trips, all provided by Crow, a Republican donor. The Supreme Court sets its own rules as a co-equal branch of government and has no code of conduct, but ethics laws and rules that apply widely to the judiciary require the disclosure of gifts. The court’s constitutional independence means there’s little chance that Thomas will be sanctioned. Thomas’s defenders said the gifts ...