WASHINGTON — Republican donor Harlan Crow wrote in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee Monday that he will not provide a list of gifts he gave to Judge Clarence Thomas, who has recently faced calls to resign.
Crow conveyed that decision to the committee chairman, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on Monday, which a representative for Crow provided to NBC News. Wyden’s spokesman, Ryan Carey, also confirmed to NBC that the committee had received the letter.
«We have serious concerns about the scope and authority of this investigation. As you know, the Committee’s powers to investigate are not unlimited,» the letter from Crow’s attorney, Michael D. Bopp, reads.
The Senate Finance Committee, Bopp argued, lacks a legislative purpose in its request for the gift list, saying the «Supreme Court has explicitly stated that Congress has no authority to engage in police investigations or to conduct investigations intended to expose private citizens». affairs for the sake of exposure.»
The committee also does not have the authority to conduct a tax audit, Bopp wrote, «in order to determine whether Judge Thomas met the ethical standards that the President believes should be applied in this case.»
In addition, Bopp said the panel’s investigation of a Supreme Court justice «raises substantial concerns about the separation of powers.»
The letter argues that the Crows, whom Bopp said have been friends with the Thomases for more than 20 years, have extended hospitality to the judge and his family. The IRS, Bopp wrote, has not been aggressive in arguing that a gift tax law applies in that context. He also said that the Propierties sell related to Thomas, which the judge did not disclose, complied with federal and state gift tax laws.
politician was the first to break the news about Crow’s rejection of Wyden’s April 24 request.
In a letter to Crow, Wyden had asked for a full account of the extravagant trips, gifts and undisclosed payments that were first reported by ProPublica.
Specifically, Wyden requested an itemized list of all of Thomas’ free flights aboard Crow’s private jets and trips on his superyacht, an accounting of federal gift tax returns for gifts made to Thomas or his family, and information about three Georgia properties that Crow bought from Thomas. and his relatives.
The Democratic senator also asked if any of the companies owned by Crow treated trips on Crow’s yacht or private jets that included Thomas as business expenses for tax purposes.
Crow’s refusal to comply with the request is separate from the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation. Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked Crow in a letter Monday to identify the full extent of what he has given to Thomas and any other Supreme Court justices.
Durbin and other Democrats on the committee asked Crow to provide an itemized list of gifts worth more than $415 that he gave to Thomas or any other judge or member of his family. They also asked Crow to provide a complete list of real estate transactions, transportation, lodging, and admission to private clubs that he could have provided.
More revelations recently emerged about the relationship between Crow and Thomas, including a ProPublica report last week that said Crow had paid thousands of dollars in school tuition for one of the judge’s relatives.
Lawrence Hurley contributed.