Ginni Thomas supported group working against Supreme Court reform: report

Ginni Thomas privatelyshared her support for a religious rights group working against Supreme Court reforms — which were prompted by what many see as her husband’s ethical violations, according to a report by ProPublica.

The wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote an email to attorney Kelly Shackelford, who runs the First Liberty Institute, which describes itself as “the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans.”

During a private call with the group’s donors on July 31, Shackelford read the email from Thomas aloud. Thomas wrote in all caps: “YOU GUYS HAVE FILLED THE SAILS OF MANY JUDGES. CAN I JUST TELL YOU,THANK YOU SO, SO, SO MUCH.”

Thomas argued that the group’s work opposing suggestions that the court be reformed helped some judges.

According to ProPublica, Shackelford said he viewed Thomas’s support as proof that judges who are unable to “fight” in the “political sphere” were grateful for the group’s work thwarting Supreme Court reform, which includes proposals such as term limits and a code of ethics.

The attorney said a First Liberty employee in Washington, DC, had recently met with Thomas. It was after the meeting Ginni Thomas sent the email.

“I cannot adequately express enough appreciation for you guys pulling into reacting to the Biden effort on the Supreme Court,” she wrote. “Many were so depressed at the lack of response by R’s and conservatives.”

Shackelford referred to Justice Elena Kagan as “somewhat treasonous” and “somewhat disloyal” during the July 31 call following Kagan’s endorsement of efforts to enforce a new Supreme Court ethics code, adding that the rules would “destroy the independence” of the court.

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