Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was in the news last week after a ProPublica report accused him of receiving gifts from wealthy Republican donor Harlan Crow.

The allegation has led to outrage among Capitol Hill Democrats, and some of them are demanding answers. 

Legislators demand "transparent investigation into these allegations"

According to the Washington Examiner, 22 Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday calling for an investigation.

"To date, the Court has barely acknowledged, much less investigated, these allegations," the lawmakers complained to Roberts.

"Amidst all of this — perhaps due in part to the Court’s inaction — the American people’s trust in the Supreme Court has plummeted to an all-time low," they continued.

"We believe that it is your duty as Chief Justice 'to safeguard public faith in the judiciary,' and that fulfilling that duty requires swift, thorough, independent and transparent investigation into these allegations," the legislators concluded.

Thomas says donor has been a close friend "for over twenty-five years"

Fox News noted that for his part, the usually tight-lipped Thomas pushed back against the controversy by putting out a statement on Friday.

"Harlan and Kathy Crow are among our dearest friends, and we have been friends for over twenty-five years," the justice declared.

"As friends do, we have joined them on a number of family trips during the more than quarter century we have known them," Thomas insisted.

"Early in my tenure at the Court, I sought guidance from my colleagues and others in the judiciary, and was advised that this sort of personal hospitality from close personal friends, who did not have business before the Court, was not reportable," he explained.

Legal expert: "There's nothing to see here"

"I have endeavored to follow that counsel throughout my tenure, and have always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines,"  the justice continued.

"These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance," Thomas stated, adding, "And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future."

Roger Severino is a legal expert with the Heritage Foundation, and he told Fox News, "There's nothing to see here because there's been no allegation whatsoever that accepting travel to a friend's property somehow influenced Justice Thomas's decision-making."

"If you know anything about Justice Thomas, it's that he's not influenced by outside pressures one whit. He's guided by the law and the Constitution," Severino added.