Mark Paoletta, who served as general counsel to the Office of Management and Budget in the Trump administration, said billionaire Harlan Crow’s payments of the great-nephew’s tuition did not constitute a gift that Justice Thomas had to disclose.
“Harlan Crow’s tuition payments made directly to these schools on behalf of Justice Thomas’s great nephew did not constitute a reportable gift. Justice Thomas was not required to disclose the tuition payments made directly to Randolph Macon and the Georgia school on behalf of his great nephew because the definition of a ‘dependent child’ under the Ethics in Government Act ) does not include a ‘great nephew,’” Mr. Paoletta said in a lengthy statement posted on Twitter.
ProPublica reported Wednesday that Mr. Crow paid private school tuition at Hidden Lake Academy and Randolph-Macon Academy for Justice Thomas’ great-nephew, whom the justice took in to raise at the age of 6. Scrutiny of the justice has renewed over the past month. ProPublica reported in April that Justice Thomas did not disclose that he had taken multiple luxury vacations with Mr. Crow or that Mr. Crow had purchased his mother’s home even though she continued to reside there.