Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Calls For DOJ Investigation Of Clarence Thomas’ Hidden Gifts

LOADING ERROR LOADING Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on the body overseeing the federal judiciary to refer Justice Clarence Thomas to the Department of Justice for investigation into his failure to properly report gifts from a billionaire benefactor. Whitehouse and Rep. Hank Johnson sent a letter to the Judicial Conference on Friday asking it to “refer Justice Thomas to the Attorney General for further action.” The letter states: “Potential violations of disclosure laws by officers of the highest court merit serious investigation, and it is well past time for the Supreme Court to align with the rest of the government on ethics requirements.” Supreme Court justices are required to disclose certain gifts and sales under federal ethics laws. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse called for a federal investigation into Justice Clarence Thomas' failure to properly report gifts and payments from a conservative billionaire. The Justice Department opened an investigation into Fortas after assistant attorney general and future Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist convinced President Richard Nixon that it would be legal to do so.