Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sits together with his spouse and conservative activist Virginia Thomas whereas he waits to talk on the Heritage Foundation on October 21, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images
The chairman of the House choose committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot on Thursday mentioned that the panel will invite Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, spouse of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, to testify about her involvement in efforts to reverse Donald Trump’s presidential election loss.
Disclosure of the plan to ask Ginni Thomas got here a day after a report that the committee had obtained emails between her and John Eastman, a lawyer who was advising Trump on the 2020 election.
Eastman was a number one proponent of a plan to have Trump and others strain then-Vice President Mike Pence to dam the certification by Congress of President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Ginni Thomas advised The Daily Caller that was keen to testify.
“I can’t wait to clear up misconceptions. I look forward to talking to them,” Thomas advised the Daily Caller.
Her remark got here because the Jan. 6. was holding its third public listening to, which centered on particulars of Trump’s strain on Pence, who refused to associate with the plan.
“We think it’s time that we, at some point, invite her [Ginni Thomas] to come talk to the committee,” mentioned Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the committee’s chair, to reporters, shortly earlier than the beginning of that listening to.
Thompson mentioned the deliberate invitation is predicated on “information we have come upon.”
He later mentioned the invitation to Thomas might be issued within the subsequent few weeks.
But Thompson later advised reporters after the listening to, “We have sent Mrs. Thomas a letter asking us to come and talk to the committee.”
“We look forward to her coming,” he added.
An aide to Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, certainly one of simply two Republicans on the Jan. 6 committee, mentioned Cheney additionally agrees that it’s time for Ginni Thomas to be interviewed by the panel.
Cheney reportedly beforehand had leaned towards calling in Ginni Thomas to testify.
The Washington Post, citing individuals concerned within the panel’s probe, mentioned that Thomas’ involvement within the bid to reverse Trump’s loss was extra in depth than had been beforehand identified.
The New York Times individually reported that Eastman had advised one other pro-Trump lawyer and Trump marketing campaign officers on Dec. 24, 2020, that he was conscious of a “heated fight” amongst Supreme Court justices over whether or not that court docket ought to take into account instances involving Trump’s bid to overturn election ends in a number of key states.
Eastman beforehand served as a Supreme Court clerk to Justice Thomas.
A spokeswoman for the Supreme Court didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for remark.
— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger contributed to this text.
httpspercent3Apercent2Fpercent2Fwww.cnbc.compercent2F2022percent2F06percent2F16percent2Fjan-6-riot-committee-will-invite-ginni-thomas-to-testify.html
