House Dems, Led by AOC, Call for Clarence Thomas Probe

A cadre of House Democratic lawmakers, led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday asking for a Justice Department investigation into Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas over alleged gifts he has received but didn't report.

The timing of the letter signed by five lawmakers came hours after Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden.

It also comes roughly 24 hours after another ProPublica report alleging Thomas accepted — and failed to report — at least 38 vacations, 26 international private jet flights, VIP passes to sporting events, and resort stays from friends.

The lawmakers mention ProPublica 20 times in their five-page letter. They claim an investigation should be launched into Thomas for "failing to report significant gifts he received ... for nearly two decades, in defiance of his duty under federal law."

AOC — along with Reps. Jerry Nadler, N.Y.; Jamie Raskin, Md.; Ted Lieu, Calif.; and Hank Johnson Jr., Ga. — are accusing Thomas of violating the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

"Justice Thomas's consistent failure to disclose gifts and benefits from industry magnates and wealthy, politically active executives highlights a blatant disregard for judicial ethics as well as apparent legal violations," they wrote. "No individual, regardless of their position or stature, should be exempt from legal scrutiny for lawbreaking."

They also claim Thomas "failed to recuse himself from matters ... in which there was a potential conflict of interest."

Judicial Crisis Network president Carrie Severino on Thursday noted that ProPublica omitted similar alleged transgressions by liberal Supreme Court justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, as well as the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the retired Stephen Breyer.

"If you had a team of journalists constantly digging for supposed ‘ethics' violations involving Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson, or Ginsburg and Breyer when they were on the Court. You would find the same and more," Severino posted to social media.

ProPublica was under fire in June for being funded by George Soros and multiple, unnamed liberal donors.