51�Թ�

First there was the decision by the Judicial Conference to pass on investigating multiple questionable actions by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Now the Judicial Conference has said it doesn’t think it has the power to make a referral to the Justice Department over his lapse, even though Congress explicitly gave it this power in the statute.

Now the Judicial Conference is saying, first, that it isn’t even sure if he did break the law, and second, that there’s nothing it can do about it if he did.

I think the Judicial Conference is just bending the knee to the Supreme Court.

Dahlia Lithwick: A little bit of late-breaking news this week is that the Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary’s top policymaking body, will not be referring Justice Clarence Thomas to the Department of Justice for investigation over massive amounts of free travel and gifts from his wealthy friends and benefactors and supporters—gifts that were omitted from his financial disclosure forms.