Ginni Thomas | |
|---|---|
 Thomas in 2017 | |
| Born | Virginia Lamp February 23, 1957[1] Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Creighton University (BA, JD) |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Conservatism in the United States |
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Virginia "Ginni" Thomas (née Lamp; born February 23, 1957) is an American lawyer and conservative activist. In 1987, she married Clarence Thomas, who became an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1991. Her conservative commentary and activism have made her a controversial figure, especially because spouses of Supreme Court justices typically avoid engaging in political activity.[2]
Thomas began her career working for Republican Hal Daub while he was a member of the United States House of Representatives. After Thomas graduated from Creighton University School of Law, she worked for the United States Chamber of Commerce. She later worked for the United States Department of Labor and as an aide to Republican Dick Armey while he was a member of the House of Representatives.
In 2000, Thomas joined The Heritage Foundation, where she was a liaison between the conservative think tank and the George W. Bush administration. In 2009, Thomas founded Liberty Central, a conservative political advocacy nonprofit organization associated with the Tea Party movement. She founded Liberty Consulting in 2010.[3]
Thomas supported Donald Trump during his presidency, offering the administration recommendations on individuals to hire through her work with the conservative Groundswell group. Following Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election, she repeatedly urged Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows to take steps to overturn the result.[4] Thomas also emailed state lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin, urging them to ignore the results of the election and vote instead for an alternate slate of electors.[5] She made an early social media endorsement of the Trump rally that preceded the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol before the violence took place, and she later apologized for contributing to a rift among her husband's former Supreme Court clerks concerning that riot.[6][7]
- ^ Chapman, Roger, ed. (2015). Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints and Voices. Abingdon, England: Routledge. p. 666. ISBN 9781317473510.
- ^ Barnes, Robert (February 2, 2021). "Ginni Thomas apologizes to husband's Supreme Court clerks after Capitol riot fallout". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Zak 2018was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Cantorwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Ginni Thomas pressed Wisconsin lawmakers to overturn Biden's 2020 victory". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ Cole, Devan; de Vogue, Ariane (February 3, 2021). "Clarence Thomas' wife apologizes to his former clerks for divide that developed amid fallout over Capitol riot". CNN. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ Liptak, Adam (February 2, 2021). "Ginni Thomas apologizes to her husband's Supreme Court clerks for discord she says she caused". The New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2021.