WASHINGTON — Republican donor Harlan Crow on Monday wrote in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee that he will not provide a list of gifts he gave Justice Clarence Thomas, who has faced recent calls to step down.
"We have serious concerns about the scope of and authority for this inquiry. As you are aware, the Committee’s powers to investigate are not unlimited," the letter from Crow's lawyer, Michael D. Bopp, said. The committee also lacks the authority to conduct a tax audit, Bopp wrote, "for the purpose of determining whether Justice Thomas complied with ethics standards the Chairman believes should apply in this instance."