Key takeaways:
- Harlan Crow’s lawyer has informed Senate Judiciary Democrats that Crow will not provide them with information about his relationship with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
- Crow’s lawyer argued that doing so would exceed Congress’ Article I authority and violate basic separation of powers principles.
- Crow’s refusal to provide the requested information is likely to further fuel the controversy surrounding his relationship with Thomas.
A lawyer for Republican donor Harlan Crow has informed Senate Judiciary Democrats that Crow will not provide them with information about his relationship with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
In a letter to Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Crow’s attorney Michael Bopp of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP wrote that the committee does not have the authority to investigate Crow’s personal friendship with Thomas. Bopp argued that doing so would exceed Congress’ Article I authority and violate basic separation of powers principles.
“Most importantly, Congress does not have the constitutional power to impose ethics rules and standards on the Supreme Court,” Bopp wrote.
The letter comes in response to a request from Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats for more details about gifts Crow has given to Thomas that have not been disclosed.
The relationship between Crow and Thomas has been the subject of scrutiny in recent months, with Democrats raising questions about the potential influence of the gifts on Thomas’ decisions.
Crow’s refusal to provide the requested information is likely to further fuel the controversy surrounding his relationship with Thomas. It remains to be seen whether the committee will take any further action in response to Crow’s refusal.
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