Crow Holdings chair Harlan Crow, already beneath scrutiny for his position as a benefactor to the U.S. Supreme Court docket 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 Court docket 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 line with a report this week from ProPublica.
Crow, who advised 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 Court docket Justice,” Crow mentioned in an announcement to ProPublica. “I approached the Thomas household about my need to take care of this historic web site so future generations may be taught concerning the inspiring lifetime of certainly one of our biggest 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 stories. Justices and different officers are required by regulation to report actual property offers over $1,000, 4 ethics consultants advised the publication.
By means of a newly shaped 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 positioning 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, advised ProPublica. “Sooner or later 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 houses 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 accessible to a police officer, he added.
Crow’s firm maintains possession of the house through which Thomas’s mom lives. He didn’t reply to questions from ProPublica about whether or not he costs her lease to reside there.
The opposite two tons 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 Court docket justice had accepted luxurious journey from the developer and GOP donor almost yearly for many years. Crow had hosted Thomas on his personal jet, his yacht, his personal resort within the Adirondack mountains, and on worldwide cruises.
Thomas didn’t reply to requests for remark from ProPublica.
E mail Daniel Houston
