House Democrats call for investigation into Clarence Thomas over corruption claims

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A host of House Democrats, led by Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, are urging the Justice Department to launch a probe into Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas “for consistently failing to report significant gifts he received from Harlan Crow and other billionaires for nearly two decades in defiance of his duty under federal law.” In the 11 August letter addressed to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Democrats cited the bombshell reports by ProPublica, alleging that Justice Thomas did not disclose luxurious trips and gifts from his billionaire friend Harlan Crow. They wrote that Mr Thomas did not disclose the gifts, “despite certifying repeatedly that his financial disclosure forms are ‘accurate, true, and complete’ in certifications ‘subject to civil and criminal sanctions.’” Supreme Court justices are required to file annual reports disclosing “financial income, gifts and reimbursements, property interests, liabilities, and transactions,” the letter states. While some expenses may be exempt from this requirement, the letter continues, “that exemption does not extend to the officer’s receipt of complimentary transportation, such as the extensive private jet, helicopter, and yacht travel received by Justice Thomas.” It then lays out the consequences of violating the Ethics in Government Act, which states that the attorney general can bring a civil action “against any individual who knowingly and willfully falsifies or who knowingly and willfully fails to file or report any information that such individual is required to report pursuant.” The letter lays out the gifts provided to the Supreme Court Justice from Mr Crow and other wealthy businessmen. The Supreme Court justice’s “consistent failure to disclose gifts and benefits from industry magnates and wealthy, politically active executives highlights a blatant disregard for judicial ethics as well as apparent legal violations,” the Democrats wrote.