Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on Justice Clarence Thomas to resign from the Supreme Court , or if not then be impeached, taki...
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on Justice Clarence Thomas to resign from the Supreme Court, or if not then be impeached, taking Democrats' calls for recusal a step further amid texts revealing his wife's involvement in the election fraud claims that led to Jan. 6.
'Clarence Thomas should resign. If not, his failure to disclose income from right-wing organizations, recuse himself from matters involving his wife, and his vote to block the Jan 6th commission from key information must be investigated and could serve as grounds for impeachment,' the New York Democrat wrote on Twitter.
Five House members have now called on Thomas to resign or be impeached - Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Hank Johnson, D-Ga., Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., and AOC.
In 2011 watchdog group Common Cause found that the justice over the course of five years failed to disclose his wife's income from Heritage Foundation, where she was paid $686,589 between 2003 and 2007. Under the 'spousal non-investment income' section of his financial disclosure forms, he checked a box titled 'none.'
Five House members have now called on Thomas to resign or be impeached, along with AOC (above) - Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Hank Johnson, D-Ga., Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y.
And in a series of 29 messages first obtained by the Washington Post last week, following former President Trump's loss, the conservative activist Ginni Thomas, wife of the most senior Supreme Court justice, repeatedly asked then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to work to overturn the election results.
Thomas has already voted in cases related to the election, and has so far shown no intention to recuse himself in light of the new report. In January he cast the lone dissenting vote in a case to allow the Jan. 6 committee access to former President Trump's White House records.
But House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said said it's 'much too early' to talk about censure or impeachment, but he is 'very concerned' by the messages.
'I think we have to wait and see what the Jan. 6 committee finds.' The committee is looking to interview Ginni. It met Monday night to discuss their path forward with her.
'Based on the evidence we have in our possession, I feel very confident about inviting her to the committee,' select panel chair Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said. 'And if she refuses, issuing a subpoena.'
Thomas attended the 'Save America' rally, but got cold and left early. She said she does not involve her husband in her work.
"Like so many married couples, we share many of the same ideals, principles, and aspirations for America," Thomas told the Washington Free Beacon. "But we have our own separate careers, and our own ideas and opinions too. Clarence doesn't discuss his work with me, and I don't involve him in my work."
President Biden refused to weigh into the debate over whether Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from cases involving the Jan. 6 riot due to his wife's involvement in the events that led to that day.
Asked if the justice should recuse himself in cases involving Jan. 6, Biden said at a news conference Monday: 'I leave that to two entities ... one the Jan. 6 committee and two the Justice Department. That's their judgment, not mine, to make.'
'I told you I would not tell the Justice Department what to take or not take. I'm not going to tell Congress either,' he added.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a member of the Judiciary Committee, on Sunday joined the calls for Justice Thomas to recuse himself from matters involving the 2024 election or the fight for Trump documents, after his failure to recuse from the most recent ruling.
President Biden refused to weigh into the debate over whether Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from cases involving the Jan. 6 riot due to his wife's involvement in the events that led to that day
In a series of 29 messages following former President Trump's loss, the conservative activist Ginni Thomas, pictured above with Justice Clarence Thomas, repeatedly asked then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to work to overturn the election results
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a member of the Judiciary Committee, on Sunday joined the calls for Justice Thomas to recuse himself from matters involving the 2024 election or the fight for Trump documents, after his failure to recuse from the most recent ruling
'The facts are clear here. This is unbelievable. You have the wife of a sitting Supreme Court justice advocating for an insurrection, advocating for overturning a legal election to the sitting president's chief of staff and she also knows this election, these cases, are going to come before her husband,' Klobuchar said.
She told ABC's This Week: 'This is a textbook case for removing him, recusing him from these decisions.'
Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., have issued similar calls.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., had a different take. He told CNN it is 'kind of misogynistic' to ask Justice Thomas to recuse on behalf of his wife's behavior, noting that Ginni Thomas is a 'private citizen.'
'She's an independent, adult woman, it just seems a little strange to me all of these calls for her husband to be what, like, minding her better? Frankly, I think it's kind of misogynistic.'
'She's a private individual. He's a justice on the US Supreme Court, but I think this idea that he is somehow automatically responsible for everything he says – what does that mean? Does she have to get his permission?' he added.
'We ought to leave family members out of all of all of this. It’s ridiculous to attack members of a public figures family,' Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, asked about the recusal calls.
'It is what it is. I just think piling onto family members of public figures is just an unfortunate development.'
Sen. Corey Booker also called for Justice Thomas' recusal on Sunday. He noted that Justice Elena Kagan has recused herself numerous times, 'not necessarily because she was conflicted, but because she understood that even the appearance of impropriety would delegitimize the court.'
The Supreme Court 'needs that legitimacy in this nation,' Booker said. 'So clearly, Justice Thomas should have recused himself. That's not even at question here.'
Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy last week both defended Thomas's ability to remain impartial, as did Sen. Rick Scott on 'Fox News Sunday.'
'Clarence Thomas in my opinion will always do the right thing. So, I've not seen in my — I've watched Clarence Thomas for years and I've always seen him do the right thing,' Scott said.
Ginni Thomas's correspondence with Mark Meadows, above, included a Nov. 10th text where she called Joe Biden 's election win 'the greatest Heist of our History'
Ginni Thomas's correspondence with Meadows included a Nov. 10th text where she called Joe Biden's election win 'the greatest Heist of our History.'
The texts, which may not represent the entire universe of her communications with Meadows, show Ginni Thomas to be embracing hard-line tactics and conspiracy theories, and boosting the 'Kraken' lawsuits claiming election fraud that were tossed out of court.
'Mark (don't want to wake you) ... Sounds like Sidney and her team are getting inundated with evidence of fraud. Make a plan. Release the Kraken and save us from the left taking America down,' she wrote in one Nov. 19th, 2020 message, in reference to lawyer Sidney Powell.
The texts suggest Thomas even had a hand in crafting Powell's message -- and that she pushed that message to more members of the Trump White House than just Meadows.
'Just forwarded to yr gmail an email I sent Jared this am. Sidney Powell & improved coordination now will help the cavalry come and Fraud exposed and America saved,' Thomas reportedly wrote to Meadows on November 13.
That could be a reference to Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.
She also called for Powell to be 'the lead and the face' of Trump's legal effort.
Meadows tried to console her in one Nov. 24 message.
'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,' Meadows wrote.
Thomas replied: 'Thank you!! Needed that! This plus a conversation with my best friend just now… I will try to keep holding on. America is worth it!'
She also fumed at former Vice President Mike Pence, who Trump was demanding refuse to count votes certified by states.
'Most of us are disgusted with the VP and are in listening mode to see where to fight with our teams. Those who attacked the Capitol are not representative of our great teams of patriots for DJT!!' she wrote Meadows after the election.
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