Ginni Thomas

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Ginni Thomas
Ginni Thomas.jpg
Thomas in 2017
Born
Virginia Lamp

(1957-02-23) February 23, 1957 (age 65)[1]
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
EducationCreighton University (BA, JD)
Occupation
  • Attorney
  • activist
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1987)​

Virginia "Ginni" Thomas (née Lamp; born February 23, 1957) is an American attorney and conservative activist from Omaha, Nebraska. In 1987, she married Clarence Thomas, who became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1991. Her conservative commentary and activism have made her a controversial figure, especially because spouses of Supreme Court justices typically avoid politics.[2]

Thomas began her career working for Republican Hal Daub while he was a member of the United States House of Representatives. After Thomas graduated from Creighton University School of Law, she worked for the United States Chamber of Commerce. She later worked for the United States Department of Labor and as an aide to Republican Dick Armey while he was a member of the House of Representatives. In 2000, she joined The Heritage Foundation, where she was a liaison between the conservative think tank and the George W. Bush administration. In 2009, Thomas founded Liberty Central, a conservative political advocacy nonprofit organization associated with the Tea Party movement. She founded Liberty Consulting in 2010.[3]

Thomas supported Donald Trump during his presidency, offering the administration recommendations on individuals to hire through her work with the conservative Groundswell group. Following Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election, she repeatedly urged Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows to take steps to overturn the result.[4] She made an early social media endorsement of the Trump rally that preceded the January 2021 attack on the United States Capitol before the violence took place, and she later apologized for contributing to a rift among her husband's former Supreme Court clerks concerning that riot.[5][6]

Early life and education

Thomas grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, the youngest of four children born to Donald Lamp, an engineer who owned his own firm, and Marjorie Lamp, a stay-at-home mother.[7][8][9] Her parents were Republicans.[8]

Thomas attended Westside High School in Omaha, where she was a member of student government, the debate club, and the Republican club.[8] While she was in high school, her ambition was to be elected to Congress.[9] She enrolled in a women's college in Virginia because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., subsequently transferred to the University of Nebraska, and then moved to Creighton University to be closer to a boyfriend.[9] She received a Bachelor of Arts in political science and business communication from Creighton University (1979) and a Juris Doctor from Creighton University School of Law (1983), after a hiatus working as a legislative aide for Representative Hal Daub.[8][9][10]

Career

1981–1991

When Daub took office in 1981, Thomas moved to Washington, D.C., and worked in his office for 18 months.[7][8][9] After completing her degree at Creighton University School of Law in 1983, she worked one more year for Daub in Washington as his legislative director.[9] From 1985 to 1989, she was employed as an attorney and labor relations specialist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,[8][11][12] attending congressional hearings where she represented the interests of the business community.[8] Her advocacy included arguing against the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.[13] In 1989, she became manager of employee relations at the Chamber of Commerce.[14]

1991–2009

Virginia Thomas at her husband's swearing in as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

In 1991, Thomas returned to government service in the Legislative Affairs Office of the U.S. Department of Labor,[15][16][17] where she argued against comparable-worth legislation that would have mandated equal pay for women and men in jobs deemed to be comparable.[18]

That year, her husband, Clarence Thomas, was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to fill the open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court left by the retirement of Justice Thurgood Marshall.[18] She attended the contentious U.S. Senate confirmation hearings and stood by her husband as he was accused of sexual harassment.[19]

During the confirmation hearings, several Democratic senators questioned whether her job with the Labor Department could create a conflict of interest for her husband if he were to be seated on the Supreme Court.[20] After her husband was confirmed by a vote of 52 to 48,[21] she described the televised scrutiny and confirmation process as a "trial by fire".[22][23]

Her next job was as a policy analyst for Representative Dick Armey, who was the House Republican Conference chairman.[24]

By 2000, she was working for the Heritage Foundation, where she collected résumés for potential presidential appointments in the George W. Bush administration when the Supreme Court was deciding Bush v. Gore.[25] She continued to work at the Heritage Foundation during the administration of George W. Bush, serving as the White House Liaison for the think tank.[26]

2009–2016

In late 2009, Thomas established the nonprofit lobbying group Liberty Central to organize conservative activists, issue legislative scorecards for U.S. Congress members, and be involved in elections.[27] The group was aimed at opposing what Thomas called the "leftist tyranny'" of President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats, and "protecting the core founding principles" of the nation.[28] Thomas's lobbying activities were raised as a potential source of conflict of interest for her husband.[28][29] Thomas was interviewed by Sean Hannity on his Fox News show Hannity in June 2010. Asked about potential conflicts between her Liberty Central activities and her husband's position, Thomas replied that "there's a lot of judicial wives and husbands out there causing trouble. I'm just one of many."[30] Liberty Central ceased operations in 2012.[31]

In February 2011, Politico reported that Thomas was the head of a new company, Liberty Consulting, which filed incorporation papers in mid-November 2010. The company's website stated that clients could use Thomas's "experience and connections" to help with "governmental affairs efforts" and political donation strategies.[32] The Washington Post described Liberty Consulting as "a one-woman shop" where Thomas advised political donors how to direct funds in the post-Citizens United v. FEC landscape.[3] Also in 2011, Thomas became a special correspondent for The Daily Caller.[33]

2016–present

Thomas endorsed Ted Cruz in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries.[3] She supported Donald Trump after he won the Republican nomination,[31] and has served on the advisory council of Turning Point USA.[34] Thomas has drawn attention for making controversial social media posts; The Washington Post wrote that she had shared "nakedly partisan, erroneous propaganda".[3]

Thomas is a member of the informal conservative Groundswell group.[35] According to a February 2020 report by Jonathan Swan in Axios, Thomas actively urged Trump to change the personnel in his administration. Swan reported that Thomas had given Trump a memo with names of individuals recommended by the Groundswell network.[36][37]

On May 28, 2020, Trump appointed Thomas as a member of the trust fund board of the Library of Congress.[38]

In January 2021, Thomas took to Facebook to promote the rally that ultimately preceded the storming of the U.S. Capitol building.[39][40] The Washington Post reported that after the storming of the U.S. Capitol, Thomas, on a private email LISTSERV of her husband's former law clerks, expressed her apologies for contributing to a rift among the group.[41] The internal rift reportedly concerned "pro-Trump postings and former Thomas clerk John Eastman, who spoke at the rally and represented Trump in some of his failed lawsuits filed to overturn the 2020 election results."[41]

In the wake of the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol, baseless claims that Thomas had paid to shuttle demonstrators to Washington D.C. proliferated online.[42] A year after the attack, fact checkers again debunked claims that Thomas organized the events of January 6, 2021.[43] Thomas told the Washington Free Beacon that she attended the Stop the Steal rally that preceded the U.S. Capitol attack but left before Trump took the stage at noon.[44]

In March 2022, texts between Thomas and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows from 2020 were handed to the Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.[45] The texts show her repeatedly urging Meadows to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and repeating conspiracy theories about ballot fraud.[4] She urged that conspiracy theorist attorney Sidney Powell be retained by the Trump campaign efforts to overturn the 2020 election.[46] It was disclosed that the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack was considering whether to call her as a witness in its investigation.[46] In the quoted texts, Thomas described an unknown number of American citizens that she hoped would be "living in barges off GITMO"[47] in accord with the QAnon-affiliated conspiracy theory that President Biden, his family, and thousands of state and county election officials, administrators, and volunteers successfully orchestrated and performed a vast conspiracy to rig the 2020 elections across thousands of administrative districts or wards. Public perception of the likelihood of such QAnon-style conspiracy theories influencing a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court was widespread enough[48] that President Biden was asked what he thought about whether Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from any January 6th-related cases.[49] He replied that the answer is for others to determine,[49] mentioning the congressional investigating committee and the Department of Justice.[49] Under U.S. law, each justice of the court is the main and possibly only person who has power over his or her own recusal.

An April 2022 Quinnipiac poll found that 52% of Americans said that, in light of Ginni Thomas's texts relating to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from cases about the 2020 election.[50]

Personal life

Virginia and Clarence Thomas married in 1987.[51] The couple live in Virginia.[52]

Thomas converted from Protestantism to her husband's Catholic faith in 2002. She was inspired by his devotion of praying the Litany of Humility and participating in the Mass. She credits Justice Antonin Scalia and his wife Maureen for helping her husband back into the Church.[53]

On October 9, 2010, Thomas left a voicemail message for Anita Hill, whose accusations of sexual harassment against her husband complicated his Supreme Court nomination hearings 19 years earlier.[54][55] In the voicemail, Thomas said that Hill should apologize to Thomas's husband. Hill responded that there was nothing to apologize for and said that her 1991 testimony about her interactions with Clarence Thomas was truthful.[54]

In 2011, Clarence Thomas amended 20 years worth of his financial disclosures to include Virginia Thomas's places of employment.[56]

Lifespring

In the 1980s, while a congressional aide, Thomas took training with the self-awareness program Lifespring.[57] In 1987, she related to The Washington Post that, during her training several years earlier, she had been "confused and troubled" by lessons such as one where trainees were told to disrobe to bikinis and bathing suits then "made fun of fat people's bodies and ridiculed one another with sexual questions".[57] After realizing that membership in her Lifespring group was separating her from her family, friends, and co-workers, Thomas began what proved to be a difficult and months-long process of breaking away.[57] At one point, she hid in another part of the U.S. to avoid a constant barrage of high-pressure phone calls from Lifespring members, who felt they had a duty to keep her in the organization.[8][58][59]

Thomas came to believe that Lifespring was a cult.[8] After leaving the group in 1985, she sought counseling and joined the Cult Awareness Network.[8][60] She became a critic of controversial religious groups, speaking on panels and organizing anti-cult workshops for congressional staffers in 1986 and 1988.[8] In a 1991 interview, Thomas remarked, "I was once in a group that used mind control techniques", and she called its members "pretty scary people".[61]

References

  1. ^ Chapman, Roger, ed. (2015). Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints and Voices. Abingdon, England: Routledge. p. 666. ISBN 9781317473510.
  2. ^ Barnes, Robert (February 2, 2021). "Ginni Thomas apologizes to husband's Supreme Court clerks after Capitol riot fallout". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Zak, Dan (December 27, 2018). "What is Ginni Thomas saying now? The evolution of an unusually outspoken Supreme Court spouse". The Washington Post.
  4. ^ a b Cantor, Matthew (March 25, 2022). "Ginni Thomas urged Trump's chief of staff to overturn election results". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  5. ^ Cole, Devan; de Vogue, Ariane (February 3, 2021). "Clarence Thomas' wife apologizes to his former clerks for divide that developed amid fallout over Capitol riot". CNN. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  6. ^ Liptak, Adam (2 February 2021). "Ginni Thomas apologizes to her husband's Supreme Court clerks for discord she says she caused". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  7. ^ a b Richter, Paul (October 13, 1991). "Virginia Thomas: A Wife Shares Husband's Ordeal". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Blumenfeld, Laura (September 10, 1991). "The Nominee's Soul Mate". The Washington Post. p. F01.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Foskett, Ken (2004). Judging Thomas: The Life and Times of Clarence Thomas. New York City: William Morrow and Company. pp. 116, 194–198. ISBN 978-0-06-052721-1.
  10. ^ "Advisory Board Members". Alumni Advisory Board. Creighton University. 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  11. ^ Swoboda, Frank (February 11, 1988). "Chamber of Commerce Backs Concept of Child Care Bill". The Washington Post.
  12. ^ "INS Ready to crack down on firms that hire illegal aliens". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. May 31, 1988.
  13. ^ Bazelon, Emily (16 March 2010). "Ginni Thomas brings the Tea Party to the Supreme Court". Slate. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Help wanted: skilled workers for the '90s". Purchasing. Reed Business Information, Inc. September 14, 1989.
  15. ^ Mashek, John; Bronner, Ethan (July 2, 1991). "Thomas, a Conservative, Nominated to High Court Confirmation Fight". The Boston Globe.
  16. ^ Marcus, Ruth (July 2, 1991). "Self-Made Conservative; Nominee Insists He Be Judged on Merits". The Washington Post.
  17. ^ "Drug Abuse Among Women Expected to be Major Issue". Lexington Herald Leader. September 30, 1989.
  18. ^ a b Carlson, Margaret; Kane, Joseph J. (July 15, 1991). "The Supreme Court: Marching to a Different Drummer". Time. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  19. ^ Dowd, Maureen (October 12, 1991). "The Thomas Nomination; In An Ugly Atmosphere, the Accusations Fly". The New York Times. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  20. ^ Toner, Robin (December 13, 2000). "Contesting the vote: Political memo; Day-to-Day Duels on Political Issues Have Grown Increasingly Personal". The New York Times.
  21. ^ Gearan, Ann (September 4, 2001). "Decade after bitter confirmation, Thomas marches to his own tune". The Day. Associated Press.
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  23. ^ Corn, David (December 9, 1991). "Beltway Bandits". The Nation.
  24. ^ Savage, David (16 November 2010). "Virginia Thomas may step down from 'tea party' group". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  25. ^ Marquis, Christopher (December 12, 2000). "Job of Clarence Thomas's Wife Raises Conflict-of-Interest Questions". The New York Times.
  26. ^ "After 10 years on Supreme Court, Thomas finds a comfortable routine". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. September 4, 2001.
  27. ^ Hennessey, Kathleen (March 14, 2010). "Justice's wife launches 'tea party' group". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  28. ^ a b Calmes, Jackie (October 9, 2010). "Activism of Thomas's Wife Could Raise Judicial Issues". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  29. ^ Haberman, Maggie; Karni, Annie (January 26, 2019). "Trump Meets With Hard-Right Group Led by Ginni Thomas". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  30. ^ Vogel, Kenneth P. (July 6, 2010). "Secret donors make Thomas's wife's group tea party player". Politico.
  31. ^ a b Piper, Jessica (5 June 2019). "Virginia Thomas, wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, extends her conservative reach for 2020". OpenSecrets.
  32. ^ Vogel, Kenneth P.; Cogan, Marin; Bresnahan, John (February 4, 2011). "Justice Thomas's wife Virginia Thomas now a lobbyist". Politico.
  33. ^ Vogel, Kenneth P.; Epstein, Jennifer (March 22, 2011). "Ginni Thomas joins The Daily Caller". Politico. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  34. ^ Mayer, Jane (December 21, 2017). "A Conservative Nonprofit That Seeks to Transform College Campuses Faces Allegations of Racial Bias and Illegal Campaign Activity". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  35. ^ Corn, David (July 25, 2013). "Inside the New Strategy Group Where Right-Wing Activists and Journalists Coordinate Messaging". Mother Jones. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  36. ^ Swan, Jonathan (February 23, 2020). "Exclusive: Trump's "Deep State" hit list". Axios.
  37. ^ Haberman, Maggie (25 February 2020). "Among Those Pressing Trump to Weed Out Disloyalty: Clarence Thomas's Wife". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  38. ^ Boyer, Dave (May 28, 2020). "Trump nominates Justice Clarence Thomas' wife Virginia to Library of Congress board". The Washington Times. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  39. ^ Stern, Mark Joseph (January 8, 2021). "Ginni Thomas, Wife of Clarence, Cheered On the Rally That Turned Into the Capitol Riot". Slate. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  40. ^ "Ginni Thomas apologized to her husband's Supreme Court clerks after supporting the 'Stop the Steal' rally ahead of the Capitol riot". Yahoo! News. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
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  42. ^ Qiu, Linda (11 January 2021). "No, there is not evidence that Ginni Thomas paid for buses to bring people to the Capitol siege". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  43. ^ Cercone, Jeff (11 January 2022). "There's no evidence Ginni Thomas organized Jan. 6 events". PolitiFact. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
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  49. ^ a b c Ward, Myah (28 March 2022). "Biden sidesteps question on Clarence Thomas recusing himself from Jan 6 cases: Reporting about the Supreme Court justice's wife revealed that she repeatedly pressed a White House official to pursue efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election". Politico. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  50. ^ CNN, Shawna Mizelle. "Quinnipiac poll: 52% of Americans say Justice Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from 2020 election cases". CNN. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  51. ^ Foskett, Ken (July 6, 2001). "10 years later, an inside look at Clarence Thomas". St. Petersburg Times. Cox News Service.
  52. ^ Malone, Julia; Dart, Bob (July 4, 1991). "Judge Thomas: Tough, but 'down to earth' Court nominee called comfortable with self". The Atlanta Journal. p. A1.
  53. ^ Desmond, Joan Frawley (October 31, 2016). "'Fearless' Justice Clarence Thomas Walks 25 Years in Footsteps of St. Thomas More". National Catholic Register.
  54. ^ a b Savage, Charlie (October 19, 2010). "Clarence Thomas's Wife Asks Anita Hill for Apology". The New York Times.
  55. ^ Fletcher, Michael A. (October 19, 2010). "Virginia Thomas seeks apology from Anita Hill". The Washington Post.
  56. ^ de Vogue, Ariane; Dwyer, Devin (January 24, 2011). "Justice Clarence Thomas Amends 20 Years of Disclosure Forms With Wife's Employers". ABC News. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  57. ^ a b c Fisher, Marc (October 25, 1987). "I Cried Enough to Fill a Glass: In One Lifespring Session, Trainees May Find Themselves Crawling on their Hands and Knees, Wailing Like Infants and Tightly Hugging 200 Total Strangers – All to Get Control of Their Lives. Does it Work? Sometimes". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  58. ^ Marcum, Kirsten; Larson, Adam (November 7, 2001). "Cult Status: In which the author struggles to escape the psychological shackles of a self-help seminar". Minneapolis City Pages. Vol. 22, no. 1092.
  59. ^ "Thomas' Wife Raps Lifespring". San Antonio Express-News. July 18, 1991.
  60. ^ Phelps, Timothy M.; Winternitz, Helen (1993). Capitol Games: The Inside Story of Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill and a Supreme Court Nomination. New York City: HarperPerennial. pp. 115–116. ISBN 978-0-06-097553-1.
  61. ^ "Thomas' Wife Was Victim of Cult". The Washington Post. July 6, 1991 – via The Buffalo News.

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