Senate Democrats demand Chief Justice Roberts investigate Thomas’ gifts from billionaire

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee demanded that Chief Justice John Roberts open an investigation into Judge Clarence Thomas’ gifts of his billionaire friend and announced their own judicial ethics hearing.

The letter, led by Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, calling on the Republican-appointed chief justice to call Thomas’s gifts “clearly inconsistent” with the ethical standards Americans expect of “every person in a position of public trust,” urges the Republican-appointed chief justice to open an investigation “immediately.” to ensure that Thomas’ behavior is not repeated.

Durbin wrote that his committee will hold a hearing “in the coming days.” If the Court does not resolve this issue itself, the committee will consider legislation to resolve the issue,” the letter said.

Some Democrats have called on the Supreme Court to pass a formal code of ethics — it is currently the only court in the federal judiciary not to have one for its nine members.

The letter noted calls for a code of ethics in 2011 due to coverage of Thomas’s gifts from Crowe, which Roberts “rejected” at the time.

Thomas, who has been showered with exotic and lavish vacations and rare gifts from Republican mega-donor Harlan Crowe, made a rare statement last week insisting that colleagues and “others in the judiciary” had told him that such “personal hospitality” was allowed.

Thomas flew Crowe’s private jet, sailed around the world on his yacht and spent almost every summer at his resort in the Adirondacks for two decades, according to a Pro Publica report released Thursday.

Thomas flew on Crowe’s private jet, sailed around the world on his yacht and stayed at his resort in the Adirondacks almost every summer for two decades, according to a Pro Publica report released Thursday.

Monday’s letter put Roberts on edge after a letter released Friday from House and Senate Democrats demanded a “prompt, thorough, independent and transparent investigation” into Thomas’s actions.

Some have even called on the 74-year-old justice to resign. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib have called for his impeachment.

Crowe has donated millions to Republican campaigns and conservative groups. He also presented Thomas with a series of unusual gifts, such as a bust of Abraham Lincoln and a $19,000 bible that once belonged to Frederick Douglass.

Thomas did not disclose trips such as those to Indonesia, New Zealand and Sonoma, California he took with Crowe that he would not be able to afford on his $285,000 a year salary.

Thomas makes annual trips to Topridge, Crow’s estate in the Adirondacks

The retreat offers boating and fishing opportunities and features exotic furnishings

Crow issued a lengthy statement in response to the new revelations about the extent of his journey with Thomas.

“My wife Kathy and I have been friends with Judge Thomas and his wife Ginni since 1996. We are very good friends,” he said.

“The hospitality we have extended to the Thomases over the years is no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends,” he said.

“Justice Thomas and Ginni never asked for this hospitality. We never asked about a pending or lower court case, and Judge Thomas never spoke of it, he continued.

Crowe called the trips “gatherings of friends.”