Republican megadonor Harlan Crow defended his relationship with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, arguing that their friendship was not unethical.
Crow said in an exclusive interview with the Atlantic released on Monday that he never discussed cases that appeared before the Supreme Court with Thomas, who is under scrutiny from Democrats and some Republicans after multiple reports surfaced regarding alleged undisclosed gifts.
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Crow said he and Thomas had been "dear friends for almost 30 years" and professed ignorance at knowing any details of constitutional law.
“I have never, nor would I ever, think about talking about matters that relate to the judiciary with Justice Clarence Thomas,” Crow said, adding that the two have talked about things that “friends talk about" and if they did have work-related conversations, they were casual.
“It’s not realistic for two people to be friends and not talk about their jobs from time to time,” Crow wrote in a follow-up email to the magazine after the interview.
However, Crow wrote that "it would be wrong” to talk to Thomas about Supreme Court cases.
“From my point of view, that is off limits. He and I don’t go there,” he said.
“It would be absurd to me to talk to Justice Thomas about Supreme Court cases, because that’s not my world,” Crow added during the interview. “I could probably name maybe five or six cases. Brown v. Board of Education. Marbury v. Madison. ... We talk about life. We’re two guys who are the same age and grew up in the same era. We share a love of Motown.”
Monday is also the deadline that Senate Democrats gave Crow to provide an itemized list of all gifts he has given to Thomas, as well as any other justice or justice’s family members, that is worth more than $415. The letter, sent by Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) on May 8, also requests information on any lodging, transportation, real estate transactions, or access to private clubs that Crow has provided to any of the justices or family members.
The megadonor addressed the purchase of the home of Thomas's mother in a private real estate deal that let her live rent-free in the home. Crow said he asked Thomas if he could buy the house at market value and that he aimed to open the house to the public eventually to "honor" him.
"It was a fair-market transaction, and I had a purpose,” Crow said. “I don’t see the foot fault.”
Crow described himself as "center right," emphasizing that he does not support former President Donald Trump and supports legal access to abortion, per the Atlantic interview.
“Trump is a man without any principles at all,” Crow wrote in an email to the magazine. “Bernie Sanders has principles; I just think they’re wrong. Trump doesn’t have any.”
Overall, Crow said he believes he has behaved with honorable intentions when it comes to Thomas and other dealings.
"I probably have more influence than the ordinary Joe,” Crow said. “But I still don’t think of myself as a center of influence. I think of myself as a real-estate guy that lives in Texas.”
It remains unclear what action Durbin would take if the billionaire does not comply with Monday's deadline request. Crow's legal counsel reportedly denied the Senate's request for the information the day after the letter was sent.
However, now that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is back on Capitol Hill, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have the majority to issue a subpoena — something Durbin said he hesitates to do, noting it would be a "rare" action.
Senate Democrats have launched efforts to investigate the ethics standards of the Supreme Court after it was reported last month that Thomas failed to disclose several luxury vacations that were paid for by Crow. Current rules require justices to disclose all gifts that exceed $415, but the standards around gifts such as travel or lodging remain unclear.
Crow previously addressed the speculation over his friendship with Thomas when the reports first surfaced, saying that he and his wife, Kathy, "never sought to influence Justice Thomas on any legal or political issue."
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"The hospitality we have extended to the Thomas’s over the years is no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends," Crow said in a statement. "We have been most fortunate to have a great life of many friends and financial success, and we have always placed a priority on spending time with our family and friends."
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Crow and Thomas for comment.