OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has gone to bat for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as some Democrats have called for him to be impeached or to resign.
At a press conference on Tuesday, for some reason the governor of Florida was asked about his opinion on the Justice, as accusations against his wife, Ginni, continue.
“The only thing I will say is Clarence Thomas is the greatest living justice and one of the greatest public servants in America,” he said.
Calls have been coming for Justice Thomas to be impeached, resign or recuse himself from any cases involving the January 6 incident at the Capitol because his wife was at the protest.
The reason for the fury is an interview Ginni Thomas did with The Washington Free Beacon in which she confirmed she was at the rally for former President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021.
She gave the interview because she wanted to set the record straight that she had no involvement in organizing the rally, that she was cold and went back home before the riot, and that her activism does not affect her husband’s work.
“Like so many married couples, we share many of the same ideals, principles, and aspirations for America,” she said. 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.”
She has deleted her Facebook page and done more to be private but she does not plan to stop her activism.
“If you are going to be true to yourself and your professional calling, you can never be intimidated, chilled, or censored by what the press or others say,” the Justice’s wife said.
In January, the Supreme Court rebuffed former president Donald Trump’s request to quash a House subpoena for White House records relating to the 2020 elections. Justice Thomas was the only member of the Court to publicly note his dissent.
That data point, combined with incomplete public accounts of Mrs. Thomas’s advocacy related to the 2020 election, spawned a push for the justice to recuse himself from future cases related to the events of Jan. 6.
Thomas told the Free Beacon that she was in the crowd at the Ellipse rally for a short time the morning of Jan. 6, but returned home before Trump took the stage at noon. Her presence at the Ellipse during the morning was the extent of her activity, she said.
“I was disappointed and frustrated that there was violence that happened following a peaceful gathering of Trump supporters on the Ellipse on Jan. 6,” she said. “There are important and legitimate substantive questions about achieving goals like electoral integrity, racial equality, and political accountability that a democratic system like ours needs to be able to discuss and debate rationally in the political square. I fear we are losing that ability.”
She insisted that she had no role in the planning or organizing of the event.
“I played no role with those who were planning and leading the Jan. 6 events,” she said. There are stories in the press suggesting I paid or arranged for buses. I did not. There are other stories saying I mediated feuding factions of leaders for that day. I did not.”
But that did not stop some from calling for her to be punished.
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.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 29, 2022
Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined a chorus of other left-wing Democrats and pundits in calling for Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to either resign his post or face impeachment proceedings.
“Clarence Thomas should resign,” the New York Democratic representative tweeted on Tuesday. “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.”
