Democrats have long disliked Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and that seems down to the fact that he is one of the most conservative judges on the court in recent decades. Many have seemed offended that a black justice will not toe the left’s party line.
Prominent Democrats and members of agencies working under the Biden administration have ramped up accusations against Thomas in recent years, saying he has accepted excessive “gifts” from rich friends. The justice’s critics say this indicates he has corrupt ethics and may be influenced by the generosity of his friends like billionaire Harlan Ellison.
Now former FBI director Andrew McCabe said he thinks Thomas might face a federal investigation over what he says are unreported gifts from conservative donors. Along with co-host Allison Gill, McCabe produces a podcast called “Jack.” The show focuses on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigations into former president Donald Trump.
In a recent episode, McCabe pointed out that the FBI is allowed to open a thorough investigation in cases where there’s evidence that a “federal crime has been committed” or there is a situation that is a threat to U.S. security.
The topic seems to have been prompted by a letter from Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Ron Wyden, both Democrats, sent to Merrick Garland, U.S. Attorney General. In the letter they ask for an ethics probe into Clarence Thomas, and specifically ask Garland to look into a loan to Thomas for $267,000 that he used to buy a luxury motor home, and which they say he did not disclose.
There is ambiguity about whether the “gifts” Thomas has received were required to be reported under the Supreme Court rules in place at the time of the gifts. Critics claim that Thomas having flown with Ellison on Ellison’s private jet to vacation destinations amount to undeclared gifts. Thomas counters this by saying it was merely “hospitality.”
Democrats have used this situation to agitate for “reform” of the Supreme Court, including expanding the number of justices. President Biden has recently floated the idea of ending the lifetime tenure of justices and capping their service at 18 years.
