Jan 6 committee likely to request Ginni Thomas appearance ‘in coming weeks’

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox

Get our free Inside Washington email

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Several members of the January 6 House Select Committee believe that Ginni Thomas should be called for an interview after it was revealed that she texted then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows about overturning the 2020 election.

The committee is likely to contact Ms Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in the coming weeks, CNN reported.

The committee has access to 29 text messages Ms Thomas sent to Mr Meadows, urging him to continue fighting to overturn the 2020 election. Both are strong allies of former President Donald Trump.

She recently revealed that she attended the pro-Trump rally before the insurrection on 6 January, but she said she “played no role” in planning the events.

A CNN source said Ms Thomas is one of many people who the committee has been focused on, adding that the committee has been “moving aggressively on many fronts, conducting depositions, sometimes multiple depositions, almost every day”.

Ms Thomas has said that she distances her activism from her husband, but in one of the texts reviewed by the committee, she mentions “my best friend” – a term she has been known to call Justice Thomas.

“This is a fight of good versus evil. Evil always looks like the victor until the King of Kings triumphs. Do not grow weary in well doing. The fight continues. I have staked my career on it. Well at least my time in DC on it,” Mr Meadows wrote to Ms Thomas on 24 November 2020.

“Thank you!! Needed that!” Ms Thomas replied. “This plus a conversation with my best friend just now... I will try to keep holding on. America is worth it!”

The texts have prompted concerns about a potential conflict of interest in some Supreme Court cases for Justice Thomas.

“These were intemperate emails and they are going to create a problem if these kinds of cases come before the court,” Republican strategist Karl Rove told Fox on Sunday concerning cases relating to the 2020 election and the Capitol riot.

“There’s been no intimation that these were directed from Clarence Thomas. She came up with these independently ... so she is responsible for the content,” he added. “The question is, how does this bear in the public perception of the court if a case comes forward in which these issues are raised.”

Some congressional Democrats have called for Justice Thomas to be removed from the court and others suggested he recuse himself from cases that include 2020 election fraud claims.

Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden said in a statement last week that “judges are obligated to recuse themselves when their participation in a case would create even the appearance of a conflict of interest. A person with an ounce of commonsense could see that bar is met here”.

“Thomas’ conduct on the Supreme Court looks increasingly corrupt,” he added.

But leading congressional Republicans still appear to back Justice Thomas.

“Justice Thomas is a great American and an outstanding Justice. I have total confidence in his brilliance and impartiality in every aspect of the work of the Court,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Justice Thomas shouldn’t recuse himself.

“No, I think Justice Thomas can make his decisions like he’s made them every other time. It’s his decision based upon law,” Mr McCarthy said.

The Independent has reached out to Ms Thomas for comment.