Jan 4, 2025 Story by: Editor
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal courts will not forward allegations against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas regarding potential ethics law violations to the Justice Department, according to a statement Thursday from the judiciary’s policymaking body.
Justice Thomas has agreed to comply with updated rules requiring clearer disclosure of trips and gifts, including hospitality from friends, the U.S. Judicial Conference revealed in a letter to Democratic senators who had requested an investigation into previously undisclosed luxury trips.
Thomas has maintained that he was not obligated to report the numerous trips he and his wife took, financed by affluent benefactors such as Republican mega donor Harlan Crow, due to their status as close personal friends. The Supreme Court did not provide a comment on the matter Thursday.
In 2023, the Supreme Court adopted its first code of ethics following persistent criticism. However, the code does not include an enforcement mechanism. Whether the U.S. Judicial Conference has the authority to make a criminal referral involving a Supreme Court justice remains uncertain, noted U.S. District Judge Robert Conrad, who serves as the conference’s secretary. The conference, which establishes policy for the federal judiciary, is led by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Conrad stated that a referral was unnecessary in this instance, citing an earlier request from two Democratic senators who urged Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel over the summer. To date, no such appointment has been publicly announced.
Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse criticized the judiciary’s decision, stating that it appeared to be “shirking its statutory duty to hold a Supreme Court justice accountable for ethics violations.”
In a separate response to a complaint from the conservative Center for Renewing America, Conrad addressed questions about Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s disclosures regarding the source of her husband’s consulting income. Jackson has since amended her filings and agreed to adhere to the updated reporting standards, Conrad confirmed.
Rachel Cauley, a spokesperson for the Center for Renewing America, expressed disappointment, calling it a “sad commentary” that the liberal justice’s omissions would have gone unnoticed and uncorrected without their complaint. Source: AP News
