“Staggering Impropriety”: Ginni Thomas Opposed Supreme Court Reforms, Sparking Outrage
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A Washington Post columnist expressed shock on Wednesday over revelations that Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, actively worked to prevent reforms to the nation’s highest court. Ruth Marcus, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary, described the situation as “staggering” in her column, reacting to a bombshell report by ProPublica.
The report revealed that Ginni Thomas privately praised the conservative First Liberty Institute, a prominent religious rights group, for its efforts to fight proposed Supreme Court reforms. Notably, these reform efforts gained traction due to ethical concerns surrounding Clarence Thomas’ actions. First Liberty Institute frequently litigates before the Supreme Court on major issues, including religious liberty and LGBTQ+ rights.
Marcus emphasized the significance of Mrs. Thomas’ involvement, stating, “Thomas’s email was not just some generic note of appreciation. It was to praise First Liberty for its fierce, and deep-pocketed, fight against… proposals to reform the Supreme Court and strengthen ethics enforcement against the justices.”
According to ProPublica, after meeting with a staffer from the group, Ginni Thomas followed up with an email expressing her gratitude. “Great to meet through the meetings today,” she wrote. She went on to praise their response to “the Biden effort on the Supreme Court,” referring to proposed ethics reforms aimed at increasing accountability for the justices.
Marcus did not hold back in her criticism, calling the impropriety of Mrs. Thomas’ actions “multilayered — and staggering.” While Ginni Thomas has previously defended her political activism, arguing that she and her husband have separate careers, Marcus contends that this situation clearly crosses the line. “Now Ginni Thomas isn’t just lobbying to ‘Stop the Steal’ — she’s trying to Stop the Reform of her husband’s own institution. So much for separate careers,” she wrote.
According to Marcus, Ginni Thomas has now become known as a “behind-the-scenes player” actively working to block any changes to the Supreme Court, and she appears to be a “grateful” beneficiary of First Liberty’s efforts.
Ultimately, Marcus argues that the revelations surrounding Ginni Thomas provide the most “persuasive reason” why the Supreme Court urgently needs an ethics enforcement mechanism to prevent conflicts of interest at the highest level of the judiciary.
