Supreme Court introduces ETHICS guidelines to crack down on travel, gifts and donations following outrage over Clarence Thomas's links to Harlan Crow

The Supreme Court on Monday issued an ethics code in an effort to shore up collapsing public confidence after a series of revelations that donors were showering justices with undisclosed gifts and lucrative property deals.

The nine justices insisted they had long been bound by ethics standards and that recent criticism was the result of 'misunderstanding' rather than missteps by them.

'To dispel this misunderstanding, we are issuing this code, which largely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct,' they said.

A string of polls suggests that public trust in the Supreme Court is at a record low following allegations of inappropriate relationships between justices and benefactors.

Many of those stories centered on Justice Clarence Thomas and his failure to disclose travel, hospitality and other financial ties with wealthy conservative donor Harlan Crow.

The new code will do little to reassure critics that justices are taking the criticism seriously.

Law professor and former chief White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter said: 'This Supreme Court ethics code covers the do's and don'ts the justices said they were complying with anyway (but they weren't).

'This ethics code also has no method of enforcement and spells out no consequences when justices don't comply. Inadequate.'

Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse posted: 'This is a long-overdue step by the justices, but a code of ethics is only binding if there is a mechanism to investigate possible violations and enforce the rules.'

The nine-page code does not place specific restrictions on gifts, travel or real estate deals. 

Instead it says justices 'should not allow family, social, political, financial, or other relationships to influence official conduct or judgment.'

And they should not take part in activities that 'detract from the dignity of the justice's office' or 'reflect adversely on the justice's impartiality,' such as speaking at political events. 

Pressure has built on the justices to sign up to a code of conduct during the past year. 

Unlike other federal courts, the Supreme Court did not have its own formal rules but justices insisted they followed those used by lower-court US judges. 

A series of investigations revealed how Thomas, in particular, had enjoyed the largesse of billionaire Crow.

ProPublica revealed that the donor helped pay the tuition bill — as much as $150,000 for four years at private school — of a relative of the justice, whom Thomas treated as a son. 

An earlier ProPublica report revealed that Thomas made use of luxury jets, a mega-yacht, and stunning retreats all owned by the same real estate magnate. 

None of it had been disclosed.

'Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over twenty-five years,' said Thomas at the time.

'As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them.

Thomas said he had followed the advice of others in deciding what required disclosure and that Crow himself did not have business before the court. 

He faced additional questions because of the political activities of his wife. Virginia Thomas was active with allies of Donald Trump in trying to overturn the 2020 election results.

Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Sonia Sotomayor have also been under scrutiny.

Alito was revealed to have taken an undisclosed 2008 flight for a luxury fishing trip provided by hedge fund founder Paul Singer; Gorsuch was caught up in a property deal with the chief executive of a major law firm; and aides of Sotomayor promoted sales of her books.

Faith in the court dropped close to its historic low point in September, according to Gallup polling.

Some 58 percent said they disapproved of the way it was going about its business, compared with only 41 who approved.