A Justice Department probe of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas could uncover whether the justice knowingly and willfully filed false financial disclosure statements or failed to pay taxes on luxury gifts — despite Attorney General Merrick Garland's likely lack of political will to launch an investigation months before the November election, legal experts told Salon.
Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., earlier this week asked Garland to appoint a special counsel to determine whether Thomas violated several laws in his failure to disclose a forgiven loan and gifts he received from wealthy benefactors.
