On Tuesday, senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Ron Wyden revealed that they had issued a letter asking that a special counsel be named to investigate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Noting that there have been several instances where Justice Thomas failed to disclose lavish gifts, the lawmakers went right to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Thomas' status as a Supreme Court Justice makes him essentially untouchable when it comes to legal matters. The senators wrote in their letter, "Appointment of a special counsel would serve the public interest. The public must have confidence that the judiciary and the Department of Justice execute their responsibilities fairly, impartially, and without respect to political expedience or partisan interests."
The men also noted that Thomas' claims that he was not aware of certain rules to be dubious, "Justice Thomas's own past financial disclosure reports, combined with his later revisions, belie the notion that he was not aware of the simple requirements he was required to meet. We contend that this pattern of filings, misfilings, and corrections provides adequate predication for further investigation by relevant authorities."
The Democratic senators closed their letter:
"We do not make this request lightly. The evidence assembled thus far plainly suggests that Justice Thomas has committed numerous willful violations of federal ethics and false-statement laws and raises significant questions about whether he and his wealthy benefactors have complied with their federal tax obligations."