| Behind closed doors, Justice Clarence Thomas’s wife is working with many groups directly involved in controversial cases before the Court.  Illustration by Chloe Cushman Can the spouses of Supreme Court Justices influence their impartiality? In a remarkable report, Jane Mayer delves into the radical activities of Ginni Thomas, Justice Clarence Thomas’s wife—and her complex, often veiled web of ties with numerous right-wing activist groups. Some legal experts believe she threatens the state of the Court, while others believe her work is “close, but not close enough” as a conflict of interest for Justice Thomas. -
“It’s hard to keep track” of Ginni Thomas’s involvement with conservative pressure groups on issues like abortion, affirmative action, and gun rights, Mayer writes. “And many, if not all, of these groups have been involved in cases that have come before her husband.” She runs a lobbying firm that one client claims can “give access to any door in Washington.” -
She posted “LOVE MAGA people!!!!” on social media the morning of the January 6th insurrection, and agitated about Trump’s loss in the 2020 election on a private Listserv that included former law clerks of Justice Thomas’s. A current member of the Conservative Action Project told Mayer that Thomas is only part of the group “because she’s married to Clarence.” -
According to documents filed with the I.R.S., in 2017 and 2018, Ginni Thomas was paid more than two hundred thousand dollars by the nonprofit of the defense hawk Frank Gaffney—something Justice Thomas failed to disclose. In 2017, Gaffney was involved in a case before the Court in support of Trump’s travel restrictions, arguing that “the challenge of Islam must be confronted.” Read the full story, published early from next week’s issue, here. —Jessie Li, newsletter editor | 
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