Top Legal Scholars Say Clarence Thomas Must Recuse Himself After Wife Implicated In Coup Plot

Top U.S. legal scholars say that Justice Clarence Thomas must recuse himself from any case involving the 2020 election after texts implicated his wife in the Trump coup plot.

Jane Mayer of The New Yorker talked to some top legal scholars and reported:

Stephen Gillers, a law professor at N.Y.U. and a prominent judicial ethicist, described the revelations as “a game-changer.” In the past, he explained, he had supported the notion that a Justice and his spouse could pursue their interests in autonomous spheres.

“For that reason, I was prepared to, and did tolerate a great deal of Ginni’s political activism,” he said. But “Ginni has now crossed a line.” In an e-mail reacting to the texts, Gillers concluded, “Clarence Thomas cannot sit on any matter involving the election, the invasion of the Capitol, or the work of the January 6 Committee.”

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association