Crow Holdings chair Harlan Crow, already beneath scrutiny for his position as a benefactor to the U.S. Supreme Courtroom Justice, reportedly purchased three properties from Thomas, together with one the place his mom nonetheless lives.
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The billionaire behind Dallas-based actual property developer Crow Holdings can add a brand new title to his resume: landlord of the mom of a U.S. Supreme Courtroom justice.
After buying three properties from Justice Clarence Thomas in 2014, the corporate’s chairman and former CEO Harlan Crow has since poured tens of hundreds of {dollars} into enhancements on the house the place Thomas’s mom nonetheless lives in Savannah, Georgia, together with a brand new automotive port and repairs to the roof, fence and gates, in accordance with a report this week from ProPublica.
Crow, who informed the publication he plans to sometime set up a museum on the property, mentioned these enhancements have been made “to protect its long-term viability and accessibility” to the general public.
“My intention is to someday create a public museum on the Thomas house devoted to telling the story of our nation’s second black Supreme Courtroom Justice,” Crow mentioned in an announcement to ProPublica. “I approached the Thomas household about my need to keep up this historic website so future generations might study concerning the inspiring lifetime of certainly one of our best Individuals.”
Thomas didn’t disclose the $133,363 sale of his mom’s house and two vacant properties that he owned down the road, ProPublica reviews. Justices and different officers are required by regulation to report actual property offers over $1,000, 4 ethics consultants informed the publication.
By way of a newly fashioned firm — Savannah Historic Developments LLC — Crow bought the Thomas properties and commenced to remake the block, the report states. He later acquired the house subsequent door to the place Thomas’s mom lives — which had been the location of noisy events, the president of a close-by neighborhood affiliation mentioned — and tore it down.
“It was an eyesore,” W. John Mitchell, the close by resident, informed ProPublica. “Someday miraculously all of them have been put out of there they usually scraped it off the earth.”
Crow mentioned in his assertion that his firm demolished properties on the block for “well being and security” causes after they fell into disrepair. The corporate constructed one new house on the block and made it out there to a police officer, he added.
Crow’s firm maintains possession of the house by which Thomas’s mom lives. He didn’t reply to questions from ProPublica about whether or not he prices her hire to reside there.
The opposite two heaps he acquired from the Thomas household have been offered to a builder, Crow mentioned within the assertion.
These particulars of a monetary transaction between Thomas and Crow adopted information final week that the Supreme Courtroom justice had accepted luxurious journey from the developer and GOP donor practically yearly for many years. Crow had hosted Thomas on his non-public jet, his yacht, his non-public resort within the Adirondack mountains, and on worldwide cruises.
Thomas didn’t reply to requests for remark from ProPublica.
E mail Daniel Houston
