Harlan Crow’s lawyer agrees to meet with Senate Judiciary members

Following a series of bombshell reports by ProPublica, the Senate Judiciary Committee has been investigating U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' relationship with billionaire GOP donor Harlan Crow. In May, Crow declined an invitation to meet with Committee members. But according to Reuters, a letter released on Tuesday, June 6 shows that Crow's attorney, Michael Bopp, has offered to meet with them.

Thomas' relationship with Crow became a major controversy on April 6, when ProPublica reported that for "over 20 years," Thomas had "been treated to luxury vacations" by the Republican donor — and failed to disclose those trips. Then, on April 13, ProPublica reported that Crow had purchased property from Thomas, and the justice had not reported that either.

On May 4, ProPublica reported that Crow made tuition payments when Thomas' grandnephew attended a private boarding school.

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In response to these reports, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) has been calling for Thomas' impeachment. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) has urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Thomas.

But Thomas and Crow have maintained that there is nothing inappropriate about their relationship.

Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, have said that the Thomas/Crow relationship underscores the need for a formal Supreme Court code of ethics. Their request to meet with Crow, however, was merely a request and not a subpoena.

In a letter dated Monday, June 5, Reuters reports, Bopp "reiterated that he does not think the Committee has the power to request information from Crow or to impose ethics standards on the nation's top judicial body, as it is considering pursuing."

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Bopp said that "we respect the Senate Judiciary Committee's important role in formulating legislation concerning our federal courts system, and would welcome a discussion with your staff."

Reuters notes, "Unlike other federal judges, Supreme Court justices are not bound by the code of conduct adopted by the policymaking body for the broader U.S. judiciary that requires federal judges to avoid even the 'appearance of impropriety.'"

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Find Reuters' entire report at this link.