{"id":25966,"date":"2023-04-15T11:54:15","date_gmt":"2023-04-15T18:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=25966"},"modified":"2023-04-15T11:54:16","modified_gmt":"2023-04-15T18:54:16","slug":"democratic-senator-says-clarence-thomas-should-be-referred-to-us-attorney-general","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/04\/15\/democratic-senator-says-clarence-thomas-should-be-referred-to-us-attorney-general\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratic Senator Says Clarence Thomas Should Be Referred to US Attorney General"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"U.S.<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks with fellow justices on October 7, 2022 in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0(Photo: Alex Wong\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“After a week of silence from the court and the latest disturbing reporting, I’m urging the Judicial Conference to step in and refer Justice Thomas to the attorney general for investigation,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

JAKE JOHNSON<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apr 14, 2023 (CommonDreams.org)<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> that the right-wing judge violated disclosure laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It would be best for the chief justice to commence a proper investigation, but after a week of silence from the court and the latest disturbing reporting, I’m urging the Judicial Conference to step in and refer Justice Thomas to the attorney general for investigation,” the Rhode Island Democrat said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The senator’s call came shortly after ProPublica<\/em>revealed<\/a> that a company owned by billionaire real estate mogul and GOP megadonor Harlan Crow bought property from Thomas in a deal that the justice did not disclose. The Thursday piece built on ProPublica<\/em>‘s bombshell story<\/a> last week detailing years of luxury trips that Thomas took on Crow’s dime without disclosing them\u2014reporting that sparked calls for Thomas’ resignation or impeachment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But with impeachment unlikely given Republican control of the House, Democratic lawmakers have demanded<\/a> that conservative Chief Justice John Roberts launch an investigation into Thomas’ apparent disclosure law violations\u2014something 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<\/a> in efforts to overturn the results of that contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas, who has worked to weaken<\/a> federal transparency laws, also previously failed<\/a> to disclose his wife’s income from right-wing organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement last week, Thomas claimed<\/a> he was “advised” by colleagues that the gifts from and trips with Crow\u2014which included cruises on the billionaire’s superyacht and private jet flights over a period of two decades\u2014amounted to “personal hospitality” that shouldn’t be reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week, news broke that Justice Thomas wasn\u2019t disclosing free luxury vacations paid for by Harlan Crow, a GOP megadonor, because he considered it \u201cpersonal hospitality.\u201d

Today, we\u2019re learning about an even more brazen disregard for disclosure laws.\u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0fhttps:\/\/t.co\/9SOFVw44BI<\/a><\/p>— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) April 14, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>