ARIZONA NEWS

Emails show Justice Thomas’ wife pushed Arizona lawmakers to overturn election

May 20, 2022, 12:54 PM | Updated: 3:02 pm

FILE - Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, right,...

FILE - Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, right, arrive for a State Dinner with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and President Donald Trump at the White House, Sept. 20, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and a conservative political activist, urged Republican lawmakers in Arizona after the 2020 presidential election to choose their own slate of electors, arguing that results giving Joe Biden a victory in the state were marred by fraud.

The revelations first published by The Washington Post on Friday show that Thomas was more involved than previously known in efforts, based on unsubstantiated claims of fraud, to overturn Biden’s victory and keep then-President Donald Trump in office.

In the days after The Associated Press and other news organizations called the presidential election for Biden, Thomas emailed two lawmakers in Arizona to urge them to choose “a clean slate of Electors” and “stand strong in the face of political and media pressure.” The AP obtained the emails under the state’s open records law.

Thomas also had written to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in the weeks following the election encouraging him to work to overturn Biden’s victory and keep Trump in office, according to text messages first reported by the Post and CBS News.

Thomas was a staunch Trump supporter who acknowledged she attended the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally on the Ellipse but left before Trump spoke and his supporters later stormed the Capitol.

She has been critical of the ongoing congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 violence, including signing onto a letter to House Republicans calling for the expulsion of Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois from the GOP conference for joining the Jan. 6 congressional committee.

Justice Thomas, meanwhile, has taken part in the court’s consideration of lawsuits challenging the election results. The court turned away every challenge without a hearing, though Thomas was among three conservative justices who said cases from Pennsylvania should be heard. In February 2021, Thomas called the cases an “ideal opportunity” to address an important question whether state lawmakers or state courts get the last word about the manner in which federal elections are carried out.

In January, Thomas was the lone member of the court who supported a bid by Trump to withhold documents from the Jan 6. committee. The documents were held by the National Archives and Records Administration and included presidential diaries, visitor logs, speech drafts and handwritten notes dealing with Jan. 6 from Meadows’ files.

Thomas did not immediately respond to a request for comment, made to the court Friday.

Democratic lawmakers have called on Thomas to step aside from election-related cases, but he has given no indication he intends to do so.

The latest disclosure comes at a time when Chief Justice John Roberts has ordered an internal investigation into the leaking of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, in one of the court’s most prominent cases in decades, and opinion polls have shown a loss of public confidence in the institution.

Thomas was referencing the leaked opinion at a conference in Dallas last week when he talked about the damage to the court. “I wonder how long we’re going to have these institutions at the rate we’re undermining them.”

Ginni Thomas has said she and the justice keep their work separate. “Like so many married couples, we share many of the same ideals, principles, and aspirations for America. 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,” Thomas told the Washington Free Beacon in an interview published in March.

Thomas sent emails to Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers and Rep. Shawnna Bolick, who this year is running for Arizona secretary of state. That would make her the top elections administrator in Arizona.

She wrote them again on Dec. 13, the day before electors met in state capitols around the country to formally cast their votes for president.

“As state lawmakers, you have the Constitutional power and authority to protect the integrity of our elections — and we need you to exercise that power now!” the email said. “Never before in our nation’s history have our elections been so threatened by fraud and unconstitutional procedures.”

Bowers dismissed the idea of replacing Arizona’s electors shortly after the election. The following year, Bolick introduced a bill that would have allowed the Legislature to overturn any presidential election results for any reason, and replace the electors.

Bolick has said her legislation would have made the process more bipartisan by requiring a two-thirds vote, but the text of the proposal calls for a simple majority. In any event, Bowers essentially killed the legislation before it ever came to a vote.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Cactus Park Precinct...

KTAR.com

Escaped prisoner caught by citizens at Phoenix gas station

An escaped prisoner was caught by citizens at a Phoenix gas station Thursday night shortly after he fled from a detention center.

53 minutes ago

no motor vehicles sign near arizona border...

KTAR.com

Arizona’s Sinema says Lukeville Port of Entry closure ‘unacceptable,’ unsure when it will reopen

The Lukeville Port of Entry has been closed for five days with no end in sight, a situation Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona says is "unacceptable."

4 hours ago

(Photo provided by Evolve Public Relations and Marketing.)...

KTAR.com

Google Fiber internet service is slated for Queen Creek in early 2025

Queen Creek is set to become the third community in Arizona to get Google Fiber - a high-speed internet service provided by Google.

4 hours ago

No freeway closures are scheduled in metro Phoenix the rest of the year. (ADOT Photo)...

KTAR.com

No weekend closures scheduled on metro Phoenix freeways through end of year

State transportation officials have no scheduled closures on metro Phoenix freeways through the end of the year.

4 hours ago

Buckeye Police Chief Larry Hall....

KTAR.com

Buckeye Police Chief Larry Hall to retire after 10 years on the job

After 10 years on the job, Buckeye Police Chief Larry Hall is planning to retire in January.

4 hours ago

Pamela Andrews...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert issued for 68-year-old woman last seen in Mesa

The Mesa Police Department has asked the public for help as it attempts to locate a woman who has been missing for three days.

11 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @KTAR923...

The best ways to honor our heroes on Veterans Day and give back to the community

Veterans Day is fast approaching and there's no better way to support our veterans than to donate to the Military Assistance Mission.

Follow @KTAR923...

The 2023 Diamondbacks are a good example to count on the underdog

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the World Series as a surprise. That they made the playoffs at all, got past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card round, swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and won two road games in Philadelphia to close out a full seven-game NLCS went against every expectation. Now, […]

Follow @KTAR923...

West Hunsaker at Morris Hall supports Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona

KTAR's Community Spotlight this month focuses on Morris Hall and its commitment to supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona.

Emails show Justice Thomas’ wife pushed Arizona lawmakers to overturn election