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... Thomas, the longest-serving member of the court and part of its conservative majority, has been under fire for an extended period over allegations that include failing to disclose a number of expensive gifts given to him by billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow and never paying taxes on a more than $267,000 forgiven loan from another wealthy business owner.

On Tuesday, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Ron Wyden announced in a news release that they had sent Garland a letter requesting that he appoint a special counsel to investigate the alleged violations of Thomas. Previous investigations of Thomas have been headed by Whitehouse and Wyden as chairs of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts and the Senate Finance Committee, respectively.

"We do not make this request lightly," Whitehouse and Wyden write in the letter, which was sent on July 3. "The evidence assembled thus far plainly suggests that Justice Thomas has committed numerous willful violations of federal ethics and false-statement laws and raises significant questions about whether he and his wealthy benefactors have complied with their federal tax obligations."

"Presented with opportunities to resolve questions about his conduct, Justice Thomas has maintained a suspicious silence," they continue. "No government official should be above the law...We therefore request that you appoint a Special Counsel authorized to investigate potential criminal violations by Justice Thomas." ...