GOP megadonor rebuffs Senate panel request for full accounting of Clarence Thomas gifts

Harlan Crow rebuffed a request from the Senate Finance Committee to turn over a list of gifts he gave to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, according to a letter obtained by The Hill. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) demanded the information after a ProPublica investigation revealed undisclosed luxury gifts and trips that Crow, a Dallas-based real estate developer who has donated millions to conservative causes, gave to Thomas over roughly two decades. Wyden made the request as part of his questioning of whether Crow fully complied with federal tax laws surrounding the gifts. Crow’s attorneys cited the panel’s lack of authority over the matter, along with issues with separation of powers, in its refusal to comply.