FOLLOW THE MONEY: Senate Judiciary GOP Waves Off Ethics Issues While Bankrolled by Crow

WASHINGTON, DC – As the Supreme Court corruption crisis grows, the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday sent a letter to Justice Thomas’s billionaire benefactor Harlan Crow, asking for a full accounting of free luxury travel and lavish gifts he has given to Thomas or any other justice. None of the Committee’s Republicans joined — the same Republicans who used last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Supreme Court ethics reform as an opportunity for political grandstanding and performative outrage.

It’s no surprise why: Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have accepted nearly half a million dollars in campaign contributions from Harlan Crow himself.

Take a look at the numbers:

At the hearing, Senator Lindsey Graham claimed there was a concentrated effort by the left to “delegitimize the Court and cherry pick examples to make a point.” Crow has donated $20,600 to Graham and his affiliated PACs.

Senator John Kennedy said the proposed Supreme Court ethics rules were “unnecessary.” Crow has donated $8,300 to Kennedy.

Senator Chuck Grassley claimed that the recent revelations were part of a longer-term mission to “cast doubt on certain judges and justices, all because the left is opposed to recent court rulings.” Crow has donated $46,600 to Grassley and his affiliated PACs.

Senator John Cornyn claimed Congress did not have the authority to regulate the courts due to separation of powers — a claim that was disproven by an expert witness that testified at the hearing. Crow has donated $294,800 to Cornyn, his affiliated pacs, and his joint fundraising committees.

Senator Ted Cruz claimed the hearing was not about judicial ethics, but instead, was an attempt to attack Justice Thomas for having rich friends. Crow contributed $23,500 to Cruz’s campaigns for Senate and President and his affiliated PACs.

Following bombshell news of Justice Clarence Thomas’s decades-worth of undisclosed luxury travel and gifts from billionaire Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, Accountable.US released a report revealing that Republican members of Senate Judiciary had collectively received $453,300 in donations from Harlan Crow. That number has since grown with new donations totaling $3,700 to Senator Cornyn just weeks before ProPublica revealed the Thomas/Crow scandal.

Accountable.US has repeatedly called for action in the aftermath of the unprecedented ethics issues undermining the integrity of our nation’s highest court.

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