Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is cheering on efforts by a religious rights organization to oppose reforms to the nation’s highest court, according to an audio recording obtained by ProPublica. The Thomases have been the focus of calls for reform in the wake of a April 2023 ProPublica report detailing how the couple took luxury vacations and accepted gifts from Harlan Crow, a wealthy Dallas real estate developer with a long history of generously supporting conservative causes, including being a founding member of the Club For Growth and donating millions of dollars to GOP candidates.
The report, however, did not explicitly state that the Thomases’ travel expenses were illegal. It merely suggested that they might be in violation of federal law. This distinction is crucial, as it highlights the importance of legal clarity and the need for a nuanced approach to ethical considerations.
This latest ProPublica report centers on the First Liberty Institute and its president and CEO, Kelly Shackelford. First Liberty is “a $25 million-a-year organization that describes itself as ‘the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans,’” wrote ProPublica, and it has won several significant legal cases at the Supreme Court or appellate level, including representing a former high school football coach who was fired for praying on the field after games, bakery owners in Oregon who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, and Navy SEALs who refused to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
ProPublica obtained a recording of the call after the audio was sent to some of the organization’s supporters.
YOU HAVE MADE THEM ALL VERY HAPPY.” Shackelford then read a section of Ginni Thomas’s email where she wrote, “I’m not going to be silent.”
This is a direct quote from a section of Ginni Thomas’s email. This email was sent to a group of lawyers and judges. This email was sent in response to a letter sent by the Supreme Court Justices.
During this same phone call, Shackelford offered sharp criticism of some of the ethical reforms that have been proposed for the Supreme Court, calling them “a dangerous attempt to really destroy the court, the Supreme Court,” that was led by “people in the progressive, extreme left” who were “upset by just a few cases.” He singled out Justice Elena Kagan for supporting reforms, calling her “treasonous” and “disloyal.” Read the ProPublica report here. Listen to the audio clips above, via ProPublica on YouTube. Have a tip for us? tips@mediaite.com
