Senators seek prosecution for Justice Clarence Thomas
Last week Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting an investigation into the actions of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY 14) has also weighed in on the issue recently filing an impeachment article against the Justice yesterday.
“The unchecked corruption crisis on the Supreme Court has now spiraled into a constitutional crisis threatening American democracy writ large,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a press release.
Thomas has admittedly accepted gifts ranging from vacations, free private jet travel and even a home from benefactors that largely went undisclosed until last year.
“The scale of the potential ethics violations by Justice Thomas, and the willful pattern of disregard for ethics laws, exceeds the conduct of other government officials investigated by the Department of Justice for similar violations,” the two lawmakers wrote in their July 3 letter. “The breadth of the omissions uncovered to date, and the serious possibility of additional tax fraud and false statement violations by Justice Thomas and his associates, warrant the appointment of a special counsel to investigate this misconduct.”
As months continue to pass, watchdogs have continued to discover even more luxurious experiences offered to Thomas by Republican donors like billionaire Harlan Crow that total over $4 million. Leaders are growing frustrated with the inability to hold justices and others like the former president accountable for egregious acts.
“The Senate is not a prosecutorial body, and the Supreme Court has no fact-finding function of its own, making the executive role all the more important if there is ever to be any complete determination of the facts,” the memo ascertained.
Thomas, a staunch conservative is the longest-serving member of the Court believes he is in compliance with the law.
“Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable,” Thomas said last year. “I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines.”
Supporters like Crow have called the gifts forms of “hospitality” and also see nothing wrong with the multi-million dollar ventures. After the formal request from senators for an investigation, it is now up to the Department of Justice to decide if they will pursue further examination of the claims.
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