Justice Thomas’ wife thanked group for fighting Supreme Court Reform
U.S. Supreme Court
Justice Thomas’ wife reportedly thanked group for fighting Supreme Court reform
September 5, 2024, 10:10 am CDT
Conservative activist Virginia “Ginni” Thomas walks during a break in a voluntary interview Sept. 29, 2022, in Washington, D.C., with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Photo by Manuel Balce Ceneta/The Associated Press)
Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, thanked a religious liberty group in an email for fighting Supreme Court reform, according to a recording of a call led by the group’s president and CEO.
Kelly Shackelford, leader of the First Liberty Institute, a group that litigates religious liberty cases, said he was reading from parts of Ginni Thomas’ email in his July 31 donor call, according to a story by ProPublica and Documented, which obtained the recording.
Thomas reportedly sent the email soon after President Joe Biden proposed three reforms: term limits for Supreme Court justices, a binding ethics code for the justices, and a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s recent decision on presidential immunity.
Thomas reportedly wrote to a staff member of the First Liberty Institute after a meeting.
“I cannot adequately express enough appreciation for you guys pulling into reacting to the Biden effort on the Supreme Court,” she wrote in the email, according to Shackelford. “Many were so depressed at the lack of response by R’s and conservatives” to reform proposals.
“You guys have filled the sails of many judges. Can I just tell you, thank you so, so, so much,” Thomas reportedly wrote in all capital letters.
Shackelford also criticized Justice Elena Kagan during the call for endorsing an enforcement mechanism for the Supreme Court’s new ethics code.
“That is incredible, somewhat treasonous, what Kagan did,” he said. “The chief justice runs the court,” he said. They are trying to keep other branches away from them. And then you’ve got Kagan from the inside really being somewhat disloyal and somewhat treasonous in what she’s doing.”
Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel at the First Liberty Institute, issued a statement in response to a request for comment by ProPublica and Documented.
“First Liberty is extremely alarmed at the leftist attacks on our democracy and judicial independence and is fighting to bring attention to this dangerous threat. Sasser wrote that it’s shameful how the political left is happy to destroy democracy in order to get the court decisions that they want, instead of working through democratic means and constitutional means. “It’s dangerous to the freedom of all Americans to have one branch of government rule over another, regardless of their political views. Eighty-seven per cent of Americans believe that judicial independence is crucial to protecting civil rights. We will continue to fight for the future and prosperity of our nation.”
