Senate Democrats expressed strong criticism of Justice Clarence Thomas on Tuesday following reports alleging he failed to disclose luxury travel, gifts, and a real estate transaction involving billionaire GOP donor Harlan Crow. The Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Dick Durbin, plans to hold a hearing on the potential ethics violations in the coming weeks; however, no specific details regarding testimonies or subpoenas have been confirmed.
Durbin commented that it is “too soon” to provide comprehensive information about the forthcoming hearing related to Supreme Court ethics. Last week, he and other committee Democrats sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts, urging an investigation into the allegations against Thomas.
Senator Richard Blumenthal emphasized the need for full transparency, stating that the American public deserves to know the facts surrounding Thomas’s actions. He suggested the committee might need to consider subpoenas for both Thomas and Crow if Thomas does not voluntarily appear to provide testimony.
While Senate Democrats have yet to finalize a strategy, they are highlighting the targeting of Thomas as part of a broader push for a code of ethics applicable to the Supreme Court, which is currently excluded from many ethics rules affecting lower courts. Several Democrats underscored their concerns about recent reports of potentially unethical conduct among the judiciary.
On the Republican side, Senators defended Thomas, asserting that the Supreme Court should handle its own ethics matters. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell critiqued Democrats for their scrutiny of the court and expressed confidence in Chief Justice Roberts to manage internal issues. Others, like Senator Josh Hawley, claimed that the allegations against Thomas are part of a long-standing effort to discredit him.
Reports from ProPublica revealed that Thomas did not report gifts and luxury travel from Crow, which he attributed to a belief that such items were exempt under the court’s disclosure rules. The Judicial Conference has since updated these rules, closing a loophole that previously applied to hospitality received by justices. Thomas plans to amend his financial disclosures to reflect these transactions moving forward.
Despite the controversy, most Republicans have shown little interest in collaborating with Democrats on imposing a new ethics code for the justices, instead emphasizing that the court has historically managed its own oversight. The ongoing situation reflects the growing tensions surrounding Supreme Court ethics in the current political climate.
Source: Reported based on publicly available information from www.cnn.com.
