Justice Clarence Thomas denounced Washington as a “dreadful place” full of “horrible people,” stating that he and his wife have been beset by “evil” and lies.
The Supreme Court justice has come under intense public scrutiny over his wife, Virginia Thomas,’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his acceptance of luxury gifts from billionaire friends.
In his first extensive public comments since the scandals, at a judicial conference in Alabama on Friday, Thomas said he and his wife had been subjected to “evil” and “lies.”
The New York Times reported He said: ‘Especially in Washington, people pride themselves on being horrible. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a horrible place.
Thomas is one of the most conservative and controversial justices on the Supreme Court and was instrumental in overturning the federal right to abortion granted in Roe v Wade.
Justice Clarence Thomas was exposed in a series of expenses scandals last year
His wife, Virginia Thomas, backed false claims that the 2020 election was stolen
Thomas came under fire for reports that he had borrowed more than a quarter of a million dollars from a friend to buy his mobile home.
Thomas made these comments while being interviewed by former Clerk Kathryn Kimball Mizelle at the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference held at a luxury resort in Mobile Bay.
He did not specify who or what he was referring to, but made broad statements about the “negativity” he has faced in recent years.
He said: “There has certainly been a lot of negativity in our lives, my wife and I, over the last few years, but we decided not to focus on it.”
Thomas faced calls for his recusal after it was revealed that his wife had attempted to overturn the 2020 election and had supported false claims that the election was stolen.
Then, last year, a series of investigations revealed that he had failed to report dozens of lavish trips and expenses paid for by Republican billionaire Harlan Crow.
The resulting scandal called into question his integrity and impartiality, particularly in the wake of the highly politicized Roe v Wade decision and his refusal to recuse himself from hearings related to the January 6 insurrection.
Thomas did not directly reference the scandals in his comments and instead focused on his career and life before politics.
He said: “I was thinking about leaving DC. I had no interest in being in public life.
‘I ended up in this job and this is, let’s pray, doing what God wanted me to do, what I was being called to do. But being in public life is not something he would have chosen to do.”
He added: ‘Especially in Washington, people pride themselves on being horrible. It’s a horrible place, as far as I’m concerned.
“Because in the rest of the country, it’s one of the reasons we like RVing, being around regular people who don’t take pride in doing harmful things, simply because they have the ability to do so.”
He did not mention claims that he had borrowed more than a quarter of a million dollars from a friend to buy his mobile home.
In April of last year, ProPublica exposed that Thomas had failed to report on financial disclosure forms 20 years of luxury and jet-setting trips paid for by Crow.
They revealed that Thomas had vacationed on Crow’s superyacht, flown on his Bombardier Global 5000 jet and vacationed with him at an all-male resort in California, Bohemian Grove.
Crow also reportedly paid approximately $100,000 in tuition for Thomas’ great-nephew and purchased the house in which Thomas’ mother lived.
Conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas revealed that Republican billionaire Harlan Crow paid for three of his private flights.
Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse displays a painting of Clarence Thomas (second from right) and Harlan Crow (right) meeting at Crow’s Adirondacks resort, Camp Topridge. The painting is on display at the New York property.
An image of Crow’s yacht, the Michaela Rose, which was adorned with a giant inflatable rubber duck during Thomases’ 2019 trip to Indonesia.
They also revealed that Thomas had spent time at Crow’s ranch in East Texas and used to spend a week each summer at Crow’s private resort in New York’s Adirondacks, Camp Topridge.
Rates for a nearby hotel start at $2,250 per night, but Camp Topridge is even more exclusive, as Crow must personally invite guests.
It also has quirky features including a Hagrid replica of Harry Potter’s cottage, a 1950s-style soda fountain and bronze gnome statues.
A 2019 trip Thomas and his wife Ginni took to Indonesia with Crow, which included private flights and time aboard the yacht, named Michaela Rose and adorned with a giant inflatable rubber duck, would have cost about $500,000, the organization said. of news. .
Thomas’ annual salary is $285,000.
