Amid ongoing criticism over Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas failing to report trips he took with Texas billionaire Harlan Crow, it has been revealed that President Biden is apparently guilty of doing much the same thing.
According to a Thursday report from the New York Post, Biden took multiple free trips at the homes of several businesspeople, but failed to disclose them in his annual financial disclosure form.
The Post found Biden received three vacations at the homes of “wealthy and politically connected owners” during the past year.
The first trip occurred in August of last year, when Biden and his family spent seven days at the luxury home of Maria Allwin, in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, a source confirmed to the Post.
Three months later, in November, the extended Biden family reportedly stayed six days at the Nantucket Island home of billionaire David Rubenstein.
In late 2022 and extending into the new year, Biden and his family stayed seven days at the St. Croix VRBO rental beach house of Bill and Connie Neville.
Of the three trips, two were free of charge to the president, according to the Post. One was suspected to be free, but the Post was unable to confirm this.
However, in the annual disclosure form he signed May 14, Biden reported accepting “no gifts of any kind,” the Post revealed.
Richard Painter, an ethics lawyer who formerly served under the George W. Bush White House, told the Post that the only reason Biden’s trips shouldn’t have been reported would be if the owner was present when he vacationed at their home.
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“The homeowner has to be a personal friend of the president or first lady and be present during the stay — otherwise that goes on the form. There’s no excuse not to have it on the form,” Painter told the outlet. “You can’t have the president just going around using people’s houses for free without disclosure.”
He also criticized the president’s inconsistency in not disclosing the visits, particularly since this wasn’t the first time he’s stayed at the homes of these individuals.
“That’s no better than a Supreme Court justice staying on a yacht for free without disclosure,” he added, referring to recent allegations that Justice Clarence Thomas committed a similar ethics violation.
ProPublica first reported in early April that Thomas went on several trips paid for by Harlan Crow, a Texas real estate giant.
This reportedly includes two cruise trips on Crow’s superyacht, flights on his private jet and a stay at Crow’s Adirondacks resort.
Thomas has acknowledged his failure to report these trips, but said he had been advised that they didn’t have to be disclosed.
However, the ProPublica report caused an uproar among Democrats, with many calling for an investigation into Thomas and others going so far as to demand his resignation from the high court.
As the report detailing Biden’s similar vacations has only just been released, it’s unclear whether the president will be treated in a similar manner.
