Clarence Thomas' GOP donor dealings go to committee of federal judges: report

Allegations that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas violated federal ethics laws in his dealings with Republican donor and Dallas business executive Harlan Crow have been sent to a judicial committee, according to the Washington Post.

The Post reported that the Judicial Conference of the U.S., a committee of federal judges responsible for “addressing allegations of errors or omissions in the filing of financial disclosure reports,” had received requests to investigate by Democrats. The news comes after columnist Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times said the scandal proved that the law was just a suggestion for certain people.

Following ethics complaints by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-GA), the judicial committee gave a short nod that didn't go into the details or acknowledge whether the committee will proceed:

U.S. District Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, responded Tuesday to say the lawmakers’ complaint had been referred to the authorized committee.
“I have forwarded your letter to the Judicial Conference Committee on Financial Disclosure, which is responsible for implementing the disclosure provisions of the Ethics in Government Act and addressing allegations of errors or omissions in the filing of financial disclosure reports,” Mauskopf wrote in a letter obtained by The Washington Post.

The brief letter is hailed as a good next step, according to the Washington Post:

Kedric Payne, senior director of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center, which had also lodged a complaint against Thomas, said it was significant that the conference acknowledged the letter from the lawmakers and referred it to a committee.
“This is definitely the first step,” Payne said. “It’s encouraging if they work quickly.” His organization has not yet received a response from the conference.