Clarence Thomas thanks Cruz for ethics defense on podcast
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas thanked Sen. Ted Cruz on the senator's podcast for defending him and his wife against ethics complaints tied to undisclosed gifts and luxury travel. The rare appearance coincides with Cruz's new Thomas biography and renews debate over Supreme Court ethics.
Key Takeaways
- Clarence Thomas praised Cruz on a Monday episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz for standing up when others "wither."
- He also credited Sen. Mike Lee and other allies for supporting him and his wife amid ethics scrutiny.
- The 2023 complaints centered on undisclosed gifts, travel, and property ties to billionaire Harlan Crow.
- Cruz previously called the scrutiny a "political smear job"; his biography Going Further launched around the podcast.
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What did Clarence Thomas tell Ted Cruz?
In the opening minutes of Monday's Verdict with Ted Cruz episode, Thomas told the Texas Republican he was "one of the people who actually stands up, particularly at times when others seem to wither, and I appreciate it," according to The Hill.
"And more personally, when we, my wife and I, were under attack for obvious reasons, you and Mike Lee and some of the other friends would stand up," Thomas continued. "So I really appreciate that."
Cruz answered that the compliment was "powerful coming from you because you're someone who knows what that's like and has done so in a way that has been world-changing." Media-shy Thomas rarely sits for interviews, making the exchange notable.
Why were Thomas and his wife under ethics scrutiny?
Thomas, the Court's second-longest-serving justice, faced renewed scrutiny in 2023 after reporting alleged he failed to disclose gifts, luxury travel, and property dealings involving GOP megadonor Harlan Crow.
Above the Law notes ProPublica and others documented high-value trips and other benefits that were initially left off required disclosure forms. Thomas later disclosed several private jet trips, denied wrongdoing, and cited security concerns after the Dobbs draft leak, per The Hill.
Cruz framed the criticism as a "political smear job" on Fox News in April 2023, arguing other judges were not similarly targeted and calling Thomas an "extraordinary constitutionalist." The Court later adopted its first ethics code in 2023, though critics say it lacks an enforcement mechanism.
How does Cruz's book fit the podcast appearance?
The sit-down doubles as promotion for Cruz's admiring biography, Going Further: The Incomparable Clarence Thomas, which Above the Law says hit shelves the day after the episode. Cruz, a former Supreme Court clerk, conducted extensive interviews with Thomas for the book.
For readers tracking how elite institutions manage transparency and political risk, BlasterPost's Fintech & Crypto Alerts desk covers parallel accountability stories across markets and governance.
Thomas's public thanks to Cruz and Lee underscores how ethics disputes around Clarence Thomas remain politically charged years after the disclosures first broke.