Global Courant 2023-05-04 20:30:22
A biographer and friend of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas denounced the coverage of a GOP mega-donor’s college tuition for the judge’s second cousin as “despicable,” arguing that it did not violate the court’s rules for disclosure of gifts.
Mark Paoletta, former counsel to former Vice President Pence Who co-edition of a book about Thomas based on a documentary, tweeted that Thursday that Justice’s wife Clarence and Ginni Thomas spent 12 years helping his second cousin, Mark Martin, who was “desperately in need of love, support and guidance”.
He said billionaire Republican donor and real estate developer Harlan Crow, a friend of Justice, recommended that Martin be sent to Randolph-Macon Academy in Virginia when the Thomases “struggled” to find a school to send him to.
Paoletta said Crow supported the school financially for many years and also funded scholarships for underprivileged students. He said that Crow offered to pay for Martin’s first year of tuition, but did not pay for any other year.
‘The Thomases love their second cousin. It’s despicable that the press dragged him along in their attempt to defame Judge Thomas,” Paoletta said.
Paoletta also said that Randolph-Macon eventually recommended Martin attend a boarding school in Georgia, Hidden Lake Academy, for a year, and Crow paid tuition for that year as well.
In both cases, he said, Crow’s payments went directly to the schools.
Paoletta’s account comes after ProPublica reports that Crow had paid for Martin’s lessons in private schools. Federal law requires Supreme Court justices to disclose gifts received by them, their spouse, or a dependent child.
Paoletta argues that the payments were not declareable gifts because federal law does not include a second cousin as a dependent child, only a “son, daughter, stepson, or stepdaughter.”
“This evil story shows nothing but the fact that the Thomases and the Crows are kind, generous and loving people who tried to help this young man,” he said.
Story continues
Crow’s office said in a statement that he and his wife have funded scholarships for many students in the past. The office said tuition and other financial aid is given directly to an institution rather than an individual.
“It is disappointing that those with partisan political interests would try to turn helping at-risk youth with college tuition into something outrageous or political,” the agency said.
The tuition assistance report is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Thomas and his ties to Crow.
ProPublica has previously reported on luxury trips Thomas took that were paid for by Crow, as well as Crow buying a property from Thomas and his family; neither was made public.
Thomas has said he was told not to report the trips because they should be considered a personal hospitality exception.
For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, visit The Hill.
