Justice Thomas Fails to Report Gifts from Billionaire Benefactor, Sparking Calls for Investigation

A new report from ProPublica has revealed that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas failed to properly report gifts from a billionaire benefactor. The transaction marks the first known instance of money flowing from the Republican megadonor to the Supreme Court justice.

The deal involved the sale of three properties in Savannah, Georgia, that were owned by Thomas and his relatives to the megadonor, Harlan Crow. Tax and property records showed that Crow made the purchases through one of his companies for a total of $133,363.

In response to the report, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on the body overseeing the federal judiciary to refer Justice Thomas to the Department of Justice for investigation into his failure to properly report gifts from a billionaire benefactor.

“It would be best for the Chief Justice to commence a proper investigation, but after a week of silence from the Court and this latest disturbing reporting, I’m urging the Judicial Conference to step in and refer Justice Thomas to the Attorney General for investigation,” Whitehouse said in a statement released Thursday night.

The ProPublica report noted that ethics law experts told the outlet that Thomas’ failure to report the sale of the Savannah properties “appears to be a violation of the law.” It is unclear at this time what the consequences of this violation may be.

The report has caused a stir among legal experts and politicians alike, and it remains to be seen what action will be taken in response to Justice Thomas’ failure to properly report the gifts from the billionaire benefactor.