10060 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 157, Pt. 7 June 24, 2011 commemorating World Refugee Day all week, HONORING WORTH COUNTY Mr. Varn lived at the old cannery site, a the plight of refugees continues day in and collection of crumbling buildings on a salt day out. As I speak, there are some 15.4 mil- marsh just down the road from a sign her- HON. SAM GRAVES alding this remote coastal community out- lion refugees around the world. But, there’s OF MISSOURI side Savannah as Justice Thomas’s birth- another dimension to this humanitarian crisis IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES place. The justice asked about plans for the that I want to highlight. Worldwide, there are Friday, June 24, 2011 property, and Mr. Varn said he hoped it an estimated 27.5 million internally displaced could be preserved. people who have fled their homes, but remain Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I ‘‘And Clarence said, ‘Well, I’ve got a friend within their country’s borders. So, as we mark proudly pause to recognize Worth County of I’m going to put you in touch with,’ ’’ Mr. World Refugee Day, we cannot forget inter- Missouri’s Sixth District. Worth County is cele- Varn recalled, adding that he was later told brating its Sesquicentennial. by others not to identify the friend. nally displaced people who are refugees within The publicity-shy friend turned out to be their own countries. Worth County has the distinction of being Missouri’s youngest and smallest county in Harlan Crow, a Dallas real estate magnate In total, there are 43 million refugees and and a major contributor to conservative displaced people globally which is roughly the both population and physical size. That dis- causes. Mr. Crow stepped in to finance the entire population of Colombia. In fact, in Co- tinction, however, is not reflected in the char- multimillion-dollar purchase and restoration lombia, our hemispheric neighbor, there are acter, substance and heart of the people who of the cannery, featuring a museum about an estimated 4 million internally displaced live there. Its name comes from General Wil- the culture and history of Pin Point that has liam J. Worth who served with Zachary Taylor become a pet project of Justice Thomas’s. people, equivalent to the entire population of The project throws a spotlight on an un- Los Angeles. Pakistan has nearly 2 million ref- in the Mexican-American War and was the first American to make an amphibious military usual, and ethically sensitive, friendship ugees, and Somalia, Sudan, and Iraq all have that appears to be markedly different from over a million displaced people each. landing. On display at the county courthouse those of other justices on the nation’s high- Displaced persons are a national security are the names of all in Worth County that est court. issue as much as a humanitarian crisis that have gone to defend this nation since the Civil The two men met in the mid–1990s, a few violates basic human rights. This spring, I War and who continue to defend America years after Justice Thomas joined the court. hosted Congressional briefings with Antonio today. One of the first riders of the Pony Ex- Since then, Mr. Crow has done many favors for the justice and his wife, Virginia, helping Guterres, the United Nations High Commis- press, Robert Stricklen came from and is bur- ied in Worth County. It is the place that Glenn finance a Savannah library project dedicated sioner for Refugees, and Alexander Aleinikoff, to Justice Thomas, presenting him with a the Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees. Miller first picked up the trombone and was Bible that belonged to Frederick Douglass I commend the work of the U.N. High Com- taught to play his timeless music. and reportedly providing $500,000 for Ms. missioner and the many organizations—large Mr. Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in Thomas to start a Tea Party-related group. and small—that are on the frontlines providing recognizing Worth County, Missouri. It is an They have also spent time together at gath- basic relief and security to displaced commu- amazing place with even more amazing peo- erings of prominent Republicans and nities. And I will do everything I can to inform ple who make a daily impact on Northern Mis- businesspeople at Mr. Crow’s Adirondacks es- tate and his camp in East Texas. my colleagues about this important work. souri and the whole of the Sixth District. I am honored to represent Worth County, Missouri In several instances, news reports of Mr. But, while immediate relief is essential, we Crow’s largess provoked controversy and also must tackle the root causes of conflict in the United States Congress. questions, adding fuel to a rising debate and poverty that continue to drive up the num- f about Supreme Court ethics. But Mr. Crow’s ber of displaced people. We cannot be a just financing of the museum, his largest such PUBLIC TRUST AND THE SUPREME act of generosity, previously unreported, and peaceful world with so many living without COURT basic human rights and protections. So, this raises the sharpest questions yet—both about Justice Thomas’s extrajudicial activi- week, and every week, I will continue to use ties and about the extent to which the jus- my voice and vote to end this humanitarian HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER OF NEW YORK tices should remain exempt from the code of crisis and bring justice, security, and enduring conduct for federal judges. peace to the millions of displaced people IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Although the Supreme Court is not bound around the world. Friday, June 24, 2011 by the code, justices have said they adhere to it. Legal ethicists differed on whether f Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today Justice Thomas’s dealings with Mr. Crow to express my concern over ethically question- FREE GILAD SHALIT pose a problem under the code. But they able conduct of Supreme Court Justice Clar- agreed that one facet of the relationship was ence Thomas that threatens to undermine both unusual and important in weighing any HON. PETER T. KING public trust in our judicial system. ethical implications: Justice Thomas’s role OF NEW YORK Justice Thomas has repeatedly engaged in in Mr. Crow’s donation for the museum. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES questionable actions and hidden them from The code says judges ‘‘should not person- public view. Just this weekend, the New York ally participate’’ in raising money for chari- Friday, June 24, 2011 table endeavors, out of concern that donors Times revealed troubling details about favors Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise might feel pressured to give or entitled to fa- Justice Thomas has received from a million- vorable treatment from the judge. In addi- on the fifth anniversary of the abduction of aire real estate magnate named Harlan Crow. Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, to demand that tion, judges are not even supposed to know Despite the revelations, Justice Thomas re- who donates to projects honoring them. Hamas release him immediately and uncondi- fuses to provide details about his relationship While the nonprofit Pin Point museum is tionally. with Mr. Crow. The report from the New York not intended to honor Justice Thomas, peo- On June 25, 2006, Hamas brutally attacked Times is the latest in a long line of troubling ple involved in the project said his role in an Israeli military post, killing two soldiers and actions taken by Justice Thomas, yet he re- the community’s history would inevitably be part of it, and he participated in a documen- wounding four others. Shalit was taken captive fuses to share the necessary information to and seemingly wounded in the process. Since tary film that is to accompany the exhibits. ensure that his service on the bench is fair Deborah L. Rhode, a Stanford University that time, there has been no information about and free from conflict of interest. law professor who has called for stricter eth- his whereabouts or the conditions of his cap- No one should be above the law, especially ics rules for Supreme Court justices, said tivity. He has not been granted visitation rights those chosen to uphold it. Justice Thomas ‘‘should not be directly in- by any humanitarian organization, including volved in fund-raising activities, no matter [From the New York Times, June 18, 2011] the International Red Cross, as is required by how worthy they are or whether he’s being international law. Additionally, he has been de- FRIENDSHIP OF JUSTICE AND MAGNATE PUTS centrally honored by the museum.’’ FOCUS ON ETHICS nied contact with his family and access to On the other hand, the restriction on fund- PIN POINT, GA.—Clarence Thomas was here raising is primarily meant to deter judges medical treatment. These conditions are inhu- promoting his memoir a few years ago when from using their position to pressure donors, mane and deplorable. he bumped into Algernon Varn, whose grand- as opposed to relying on ‘‘a rich friend’’ like I urge Hamas to release Gilad Shalit imme- father once ran a seafood cannery that em- Mr. Crow, said Ronald D. Rotunda, who diately, and to cease all violence and hos- ployed Justice Thomas’s mother as a crab teaches legal ethics at Chapman University tilities against the Jewish State. picker. in California.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 13:16 Jun 17, 2014 Jkt 099102 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR11\E24JN1.000 E24JN1 pmangrum on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BOUND RECORD June 24, 2011 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 157, Pt. 7 10061 ‘‘I don’t think I could say it’s unethical,’’ lenging federal voting rights laws, a case in clear that they were ‘‘not supposed to say’’ he said. ‘‘It’s just a very peculiar situation.’’ which Justice Thomas filed a lone dissent, who the buyer was, and a news release issued Justice Thomas, through a Supreme Court embracing the project’s arguments. The last November by a Savannah public rela- spokeswoman, declined to respond to a de- project director, an institute fellow named tions firm said the museum was being ‘‘pri- tailed set of questions submitted by The New Edward Blum, said the institute supported vately funded by an anonymous donor.’’ York Times. Mr. Crow also would not com- his research but did not finance the brief fil- But the paper trail leads back to Mr. Crow, ment. ings or the Texas suit, which was litigated and in interviews at the project site, people Supreme Court ethics have been under in- pro bono by a former clerk of Justice Thom- working on it acknowledged that he was fi- creasing scrutiny, largely because of the ac- as’s. nancing it. Property records show a company tivities of Justice Thomas and Ms. Thomas, ‘‘When it came time to file a lawsuit,’’ he called HKJRS/Pinpoint bought the land for whose group, Liberty Central, opposed Presi- said, ‘‘A.E.I. had no role in doing that.’’ $1.5 million, and incorporation records say dent Obama’s health care overhaul—an issue COMING UP WITH A PLAN the company is controlled by a Dallas-based likely to wind up before the court. Mr. In addition to his interest in politics and partnership run by Mr. Crow. Crow’s donation to Liberty Central was re- Project documents reviewed by The Times policy, Mr. Crow is well known for his keen ported by Politico. show a preliminary construction budget of devotion to history. In January, the liberal advocacy organiza- A backyard garden at his $24 million Dal- $1.3 million, but it is unclear if that includes tion Common Cause asked the Justice De- las residence is dominated by old statues of expenses related to the content and design of partment to investigate whether Justices dictators he has collected from fallen re- the museum. Thomas and Antonin Scalia should have Justice Thomas remains closely involved gimes, including Lenin and Stalin. His pri- recused themselves from last year’s Citizens with the project. Emily Owens, a museum vate library is packed with 8,000 rare books United campaign finance case because they spokeswoman who works for Mr. Crow’s com- and artifacts, including a Senate roll call had attended a political retreat organized by pany, said the justice ‘‘played a big part’’ in sheet from Justice Thomas’s confirmation the billionaire Koch brothers, who support creating a video documentary that will be and a ‘‘thank you’’ letter from the justice, groups that stood to benefit from the court’s part of the museum experience. He hosted a according to local news reports. decision. design team from Dallas for a four-hour There are a number of reasons Justice A month later, more than 100 law profes- meeting at his Supreme Court offices in Feb- Thomas might be thankful to Mr. Crow. In sors asked Congress to extend to Supreme ruary. addition to giving him the Douglass Bible, Court justices the ethics code that applies to And he has had a role in picking people to valued 10 years ago at $19,000, Mr. Crow has other federal judges, and a bill addressing help with the museum. Barbara Fertig, a his- hosted the justice aboard his private jet and the issue was introduced. tory professor at Armstrong Atlantic State his 161-foot yacht, at the exclusive Bohemian It is not unusual for justices to accept gifts University in Savannah, said that she was Grove retreat in California and at his grand or take part in outside activities, some with asked to meet with Justice Thomas last Adirondacks summer estate called Topridge, political overtones. spring and that ‘‘by the end of the meeting, a 105-acre spread that once belonged to Mar- Justice Stephen G. Breyer has attended he said he would like me to work on this jorie Merriweather Post, the cereal heiress. Renaissance Weekend, a retreat for politi- project.’’ Christopher Shaw, a folk singer who said cians, artists and media personalities that is She said she had ‘‘never been particularly he had been invited several times to perform a favorite of Democrats, including former curious’’ about why Mr. Crow is financing it, at Topridge, recalled seeing Justice Thomas President Bill Clinton. Justice Ruth Bader adding that costly preservation projects are and his family ‘‘on one or two occasions.’’ Ginsburg participated in a symposium spon- often possible only because of philanthropy They were among about two dozen guests sored by the National Organization for Wom- motivated by friendships. Justice Thomas who included other prominent Republicans— en’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, and and Mr. Crow would seem to fall into that last summer, the younger Mr. Bush stopped a philanthropic foundation once tried to give category, Ms. Fertig said. by. her a $100,000 achievement award. She in- ‘‘I’ve been in the company of the two of ‘‘There would be guys puffing on cigars,’’ structed that the money be given to charity. them together,’’ she said, ‘‘and they cer- Mr. Shaw said. ‘‘Clarence just kind of melted But in the case of Justice Thomas and his tainly really are friends.’’ in with everyone else. We got introduced at dealings with Mr. Crow, the ethical com- dinner. He sat at Harlan’s table.’’ THE CODE OF CONDUCT plications appear more complex. Mr. Crow’s $175,000 donation to the library That friendship is important to deter- CONSERVATIVE TIES in Savannah in 2001 started out anonymous, mining whether Justice Thomas’s inter- Mr. Crow, 61, manages the real estate and but it was eventually made public amid op- actions with Mr. Crow conflict with the code, investment businesses founded by his late fa- position to the project by some local black said Raymond J. McKoski, a retired state ther, Trammell Crow, once the largest land- leaders who did not like Justice Thomas’s judge in Illinois who wrote a law review arti- lord in the United States. The Crow family politics. Similarly, Mr. Crow sought to keep cle on charitable fund-raising by judges. If portfolio is worth hundreds of millions of his role in the museum quiet. Justice Thomas did not ‘‘misuse the prestige dollars and includes investments in hotels, At first glance the Pin Point Heritage Mu- of office’’ in getting Mr. Crow to take on the medical facilities, public equities and hedge seum, scheduled to open this fall, would project, it should not be a concern, he said. funds. seem an unlikely catalyst for an ethical ‘‘Some of it depends on the conversations A friend of the Bush family, Mr. Crow is a quandary. That Pin Point’s history is worthy that took place,’’ Mr. McKoski said. ‘‘Who trustee of the George Bush Presidential Li- of preservation is not in dispute. brought up the idea? How willing was Mr. brary Foundation and has donated close to $5 Part of the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Herit- Crow to do it? What exact questions were million to Republican campaigns and con- age Corridor designated by Congress, it is asked by Justice Thomas?’’ servative groups. Among his contributions representative of tight-knit Southern coast- Beyond the admonition against fund-rais- were $100,000 to Swift Boat Veterans for al settlements that trace their roots to freed ing, the code generally discourages judges Truth, the group formed to attack the Viet- slaves and were often based around fishing. from partaking in any off-the-bench behav- nam War record of Senator John Kerry, the In Pin Point, the Varn crab and oyster can- ior that could create even the perception of 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, and nery, founded in the 1920s, was a primary partiality. It acknowledges the value in $500,000 to an organization that ran adver- source of jobs until it closed in 1985. judges’ being engaged with their commu- tisements urging the confirmation of Presi- Mr. Varn and his wife, Sharon, said they nities, lecturing on the law and doing chari- dent George W. Bush’s nominees to the Su- had long hoped the property could be saved table work, but draws a line where those ac- preme Court. from commercial development but had little tivities might cause a reasonable person to Mr. Crow has not personally been a party success coming up with a plan. That changed worry that a judge is indebted to or influ- to Supreme Court litigation, but his compa- after their chance encounter with Justice enced by someone. nies have been involved in federal court Thomas, who was visiting his childhood ‘‘The code of conduct is quite clear that cases, including four that went to the appel- home with a television news crew. judges are not supposed to be soliciting late level. And he has served on the boards of Justice Thomas, 62, was born and raised money for their pet projects or charities, pe- two conservative organizations involved in near the cannery overlooking the Moon riod,’’ said Arn Pearson, a lawyer with Com- filing supporting briefs in cases before the River, where it was not uncommon for babies mon Cause. ‘‘If any other federal judge was Supreme Court. One of them, the American to rock in bassinets made of crab baskets doing it, he could face disciplinary action.’’ Enterprise Institute, with Mr. Crow as a while their mothers shucked oysters. He The justices are not bound by the federal trustee, gave Justice Thomas a bust of Lin- sympathized with the Varns’ wishes and said judiciary’s conduct code, because it is en- coln valued at $15,000 and praised his juris- he had a friend who could help, Mr. Varn forced by a committee of judges who rank prudence at an awards gala in 2001. said. below the justices. Even so, Justices Breyer The institute’s Project on Fair Representa- The Varns eventually sold their property and Anthony M. Kennedy said in testimony tion later filed briefs in several cases, and in in April 2008. During a recent interview at before Congress in April that the justices fol- 2006 the project brought a lawsuit chal- their home near the cannery, they made it lowed the code.

VerDate Mar 15 2010 13:16 Jun 17, 2014 Jkt 099102 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR11\E24JN1.000 E24JN1 pmangrum on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BOUND RECORD 10062 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 157, Pt. 7 June 24, 2011 Beyond the code, the justices must comply HONORING RALPH LOMMA writing career early in life, penning movie re- with laws applying to all federal officials views at the age of 12 for the Thomasville that prohibit conflicts of interest and re- HON. TOM MARINO Times. A graduate of Huntington College, she quire disclosure of gifts. Justice Thomas’s took her first full-time reporting job in 1940, gift acceptances drew attention in 2004, when OF PENNSYLVANIA The Los Angeles Times reported that he had IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES covering the police beat for the Alabama Jour- accumulated gifts totaling $42,200 in the pre- Friday, June 24, 2011 nal in Montgomery—the first female reporter to earn that assignment for the paper. She soon vious six years—far more than any of the Mr. MARINO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in other justices. gained a reputation in the Capital City as a honor of one of my constituents, Mr. Ralph Since 2004, Justice Thomas has never re- solid reporter. By 1944, she was hired at the Lomma, in recognition of his successful vision state’s largest newspaper—The Birmingham ported another gift. He has continued to dis- for a prospering community in Susquehanna close travel costs paid by schools and organi- News—where she met her husband to be, County, Pennsylvania. zations he has visited for speeches and teach- Amasa Benjamin Windham. This year represents the 50th anniversary of ing, but he has not reported that any travel After the death of her husband in 1956, was provided by Mr. Crow. the establishment of The Village of the Four Seasons. Mr. Lomma, who founded the Vil- Kathryn Tucker Windham began writing col- Travel records for Mr. Crow’s planes and lage near the base of Elk Mountain has umns for the Selma Times Journal where she yacht, however, suggest that Justice Thomas also gained attention as a skilled photog- may have used them in recent years. worked tirelessly over the past five decades to create a place where an entire community rapher. It wasn’t until 1969, when she wrote In April 2008, not long after Mr. Crow could enjoy the beauty of every season, in an 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey, that she bought the Pin Point property, one of his environment that is both beautiful and secure. began her more famous career as a prolific private planes flew from Washington to Sa- author and storyteller. vannah, where his yacht, the Michaela Rose, What began as a loosely connected area of was docked. vacation rentals, has transformed into a cohe- From 1967 to 2009, she authored over 30 sive community, committed to the same prin- books on subjects ranging from southern That same week, an item appeared in a ciples on which Mr. Lomma founded the Vil- South Carolina lawyers’ publication noting cooking to legends of the supernatural. Her that Justice Thomas was arriving aboard the lage. well-known ‘‘Jeffrey’’ series of true ghost sto- Michaela Rose in Charleston, a couple of Since its inception, the community has been ries went on to include tales from Georgia, hours north of Savannah, where the Crow an active and thriving addition to the sur- Mississippi, Tennessee and other Southern family owns luxury vacation properties. The rounding area. Every season, the Village of- states. My personal favorite is her charming fers something wonderful to both its residents author was a prominent lawyer who said she 1975 book, Alabama: One Big Front Porch. knew of the visit because of a family connec- and its neighbors; from tennis tournaments in tion to Mr. Crow. the summer, to New Year’s Eve parties each While her writing helped establish her bona Justice Thomas reported no gifts of travel winter. Ralph’s vision of a ‘‘playground for fides as a storyteller, she did not stop with that month in his 2008 disclosure. And there families’’ has truly been realized. print. She established the Alabama Tale Tellin’ are other instances in which Justice Thom- In the coming days, the Village will gather Festival in Selma and was a sought-after as’s travels correspond to flights taken by yet again to honor its architect, Mr. Lomma. I speaker at storytelling festivals and gatherings Mr. Crow’s planes. am honored to represent such a determined across the country. On Jan. 4, 2010, when Justice Thomas was and passionate individual, who works every Her Southern charm also captured the at- in Savannah for the dedication of a building day to better our 10th District of Pennsylvania. tention of National Public Radio’s All Things in his honor, Mr. Crow’s plane flew from Over the past fifty years, the Village has seen Considered, which featured her as a regular Washington to Savannah and returned to many Presidents as well as members of their Southern storyteller. She also took to the Washington the next day. Justice Thomas Board of Directors, but through the guiding reported in his financial disclosure that his stage as the star of a one-woman play she presence of Mr. Lomma, the Village has authored, They Call Me Julia, based on the travel had been paid for by the Savannah grown into a wonderful place for families and College of Art and Design, which owned the life of another famous Alabamian, Julia S. building. visitors. Tutwiler. It is an honor today to recognize Mr. Ralph In his 2009 financial disclosure, Justice Lomma. Please join me in acknowledging his In 2003, Kathryn Tucker Windham was in- Thomas reported that Southern Methodist determination, selflessness, and commitment ducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor at University in Dallas—Trammell Crow’s alma to the ideals of community and camaraderie the recommendation of her friend, fellow Ala- mater—had provided his travel for a speech bama author, Nelle Harper Lee. Today, Ala- there on Sept. 30. Flight records show that that have led him and The Village of the Four Seasons to such success. bama Southern Community College in Thom- Mr. Crow’s plane flew from Washington to asville houses the Kathryn Tucker Windham Dallas that day. f Museum. Among the questions The Times submitted REMEMBERING ALABAMA’S BE- to Justice Thomas was whether he was on Mr. Speaker, we mourn the loss of Kathryn LOVED STORYTELLER, KATHRYN Tucker Windham, and we will always be grate- any of those flights, and if so, whether the TUCKER WINDHAM colleges reimbursed him or Mr. Crow. The ful for her devotion to telling the most beautiful colleges declined to comment. and entertaining stories about Alabama and One item not required to be reported in HON. JO BONNER the South. There was only one Kathryn Tucker OF ALABAMA Justice Thomas’s financial disclosures is the Windham and we will surely miss her greatly. millions of dollars Mr. Crow is spending on IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The thoughts and prayers of our entire state the museum. That is because the money is Friday, June 24, 2011 are with her family at this difficult time. not being given to the justice as a gift. Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I am saddened For Algernon and Sharon Varn, who said to inform the House that Alabama has lost one f they were thrilled to see a cherished piece of of its great writers and favorite citizens. Just a PERSONAL EXPLANATION local history being restored, the museum is a few days ago, our beloved Southern storyteller gift to the community. While it is about and gifted author, Kathryn Tucker Windham, more than Justice Thomas, they said, he de- serves credit for putting them together with passed away after a year-long illness at the HON. TOM COLE someone who had the money and the interest age of 93. to make the project a reality. Life is a patchwork of trials, triumphs, joys, OF OKLAHOMA and sorrows, sown together through genera- ‘‘He was instrumental in getting the proc- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ess started, because he wanted it preserved tions of experience. When it comes to color- to show that no matter where you came fully interpreting the past, no one could artfully Friday, June 24, 2011 from, you can go where you want,’’ Mr. Varn stitch the stories of our state and the Deep said. ‘‘He had a meager existence, and yet South like Kathryn Tucker Windham. Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably look where he is today. It’s a great American Born in Selma in 1918 and raised in Thom- detained and missed rollcall vote No. 478. story.’’ asville, Kathryn Tucker Windham began her Had I been present, I would have voted ‘‘aye.’’

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