House Democrats are pleading with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from the case involving former President Donald Trump’s eligibility to participate in the Colorado Republican primary.
Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia is leading the request. The call comes in response to the twice-impeached and now four-times-indicted former president’s appeal to the Supreme Court after a Colorado court ruling last month disqualified him from the ballot due to his actions leading up to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
In a letter dated Jan. 4, lawmakers claim that Justice Thomas’ fairness is affected by his wife’s public support for Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The letter mentions that Ginni Thomas participated in the “Stop the Steal” rally before the Capitol attack, highlighting her alleged involvement in organizing the event and bringing insurrectionists to the Capitol.
“This time,” the Democrats wrote, “we must urge you to recuse yourself from any involvement in the case of Anderson v. Griswold because your impartiality is reasonably questioned by substantial numbers of fair-minded members of the public.”
They argue that Ginni Thomas’ strong participation in the events before the January 6 insurrection and the financial benefit the Thomas family could get if Trump is reelected are reasons for disqualification.
“Not only did your wife attend the January 6 rally, but she was instrumental in planning it and bringing the insurrectionists to the Capitol,” the letter stated.
It goes on to claim that Ginni Thomas was one of nine board members for a conservative political group that played a significant role in the “Stop the Steal” movement, which culminated in the Capitol attack.
The Democrats also drew attention to Justice Thomas’ previous recusal in a case related to the Capitol attack involving former Trump legal adviser John Eastman, one of Thomas’ former law clerks.
The letter highlights concern about Ginni Thomas and her consulting firm, Liberty Consulting, having financial interests that align with Trump’s interests.
“It is foreseeable that your wife’s earning capacity will be positively impacted should the Court grant the relief sought by the former president,” the Democrats wrote.
“The value of Ms. Thomas’ consulting firm skyrocketed from only ‘up to $15,000’ before Mr. Trump was elected to ‘between $100,0001 and $250,000’ during his presidency, and then fell again to ‘between $15,001 and $50,000’ the year Mr. Trump lost the White House. Ms. Thomas’ professional and financial interests are aligned with Mr. Trump becoming President again, and should he be re-elected, it is likely that your wife’s income will be favorably impacted.”
