Senators seek special counsel for Clarence Thomas' gifts

MoveOn truck highlights Justice Clarence Thomas' ethical issues

The conservative justice has received free luxury vacations, plane travel and other gifts

(Image credit: Leigh Vogel / Getty Images for MoveOn)

published 10 July 2024

What happened

Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said Tuesday they had asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and benefactors who showered him with free luxury vacations, plane travel, evidently forgiven debts and other gifts.

In a July 3 letter to Garland, Wyden and Whitehouse called for a criminal investigation into the "strong possibility of multiple federal ethics, tax and false statement violations" by the conservative justice. "We do not make this request lightly," they wrote. "The evidence assembled thus far plainly suggests that Justice Thomas has committed numerous willful violations" of federal laws. Two days before the senators sent their letter, CNBC said, Thomas, in a "pivotal court ruling, questioned whether the DOJ has the power to even appoint a special counsel."

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Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.