Harlan Crow Refuses Senate Request in Justice Thomas Inquiry

Harlan Crow, a Texas billionaire and GOP donor, has refused a request by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden to detail the extent and tax treatment of luxury gifts he provided to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

In a letter to Wyden that was released today, Crow attorney Michael Boppquestioned whether the Finance Committee has jurisdiction to conduct “tax audits or judicial ethics inquiries.”

The inquiry, he wrote, “appears to be a component of a broader campaign against Justice Thomas and, now, Mr. Crow, rather than an investigation that furthers a valid legislative purpose.”

Wyden in a ...