Schumer calls out Thomas, Alito for accepting ‘lavish gifts and vacations’ from billionaires 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) Sunday called out conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito for accepting “lavish gifts and vacations from their powerful, billionaire friends.” 

Schumer did not mention the justices by name but made clear reference to them after ProPublica revealed in a series of articles this year that Thomas and Alito accepted gifts, including luxury vacations and trips on private planes from major conservative donors, without disclosing them publicly.  

“This MAGA-captured Supreme Court feels free to accept lavish gifts and vacations from their powerful, billionaire friends. And these are no ordinary billionaires—they are ideological extremists who bankroll hard-right MAGA causes and then bring those cases before the same Justices they’ve patronized,” Schumer wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter circulated publicly Sunday.  

Schumer pledged that Senate Democrats will consider all means at their disposal to pressure the court to take steps to reform its ethical practices. 

“Congress has clear authority to oversee the federal judiciary, and we must explore every option for restoring faith in our courts,” he said. 

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says his committee will mark up legislation in the next few weeks to address the ethical scandals hanging over the court.  

“The highest court in the land should not have the lowest ethical standards. That’s why, as I previously announced, the Senate Judiciary Committee will mark up Supreme Court ethics reform legislation when the Senate returns after the July 4th recess. An announcement on the timing of this vote will be made early next week,” Durbin announced Thursday. 

“Since the Chief Justice has refused to act, the Judiciary Committee must,” he said.  

A Democratic aide said Durbin will announce the timing of a committee markup and what legislation he plans to advance within the next few days.  

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who chairs the Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, has introduced a bill that would require the Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct for itself and require justices to adhere to the same gift, travel and income disclosure standards as members of Congress.  

The legislation would also require the Supreme Court to publish its ethics rules and procedures and establish an investigative board made up of circuit court judges to review complaints against its justices.   

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Supreme Court ethics reform in May.