Senator calls to refer Clarence Thomas to attorney general over “week of silence” from John Roberts

This article originally appeared at Common Dreams. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on Thursday urged the top policymaking body for U.S. federal courts to refer Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to the attorney general, citing the lack of immediate action from the high court amid fresh evidence that the right-wing judge violated disclosure laws. But with impeachment unlikely given Republican control of the House, Democratic lawmakers have demanded that conservative Chief Justice John Roberts launch an investigation into Thomas' apparent disclosure law violations—something the high court's top judge has failed to do in response to other Thomas scandals, including his decision not to recuse himself from cases involving the 2020 election even though his wife was actively involved in efforts to overturn the results of that contest. According to ProPublica, Crow's purchase of property from Thomas and his relatives "marks the first known instance of money flowing from the Republican megadonor to the Supreme Court justice." Whitehouse said in response that "Justice Thomas told us that he didn't disclose free vacations on a superyacht and private jet because it was personal hospitality from a friend and that's just what friends do."