Sotomayor Defends ‘Friend’ Clarence Thomas Amid Calls for Resignation Over Ginni Thomas and Jan. 6 Controversy
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas received surprising praise from fellow Justice Sonia Sotomayor amid calls for the conservative judge to resign.
Speaking at the American Constitution Society this week, Sotomayor referred to Thomas as a “friend” when discussing the importance on interacting with people with different political views than your own.
“With every single person I meet, particularly if I disagree with them, I try to find the goodness in them. I try to find what part of them can we communicate with together,” Sotomayor said. She used Thomas as an example of reaching across the ideological aisle, referring to him as a “friend” who cares about those he works with.
According to Sotomayor, Thomas knows the names of all employees working with the Supreme Court, as well as the names of their families. She said he was the first to send flowers after she recently lost a loved one.
“He is a man who cares deeply about the court as an institution, about the people who work there,” she said, revealing earlier that she and Thomas at one point disagreed with each other on official opinions more than any other Justices.
To understand an “adversary,” she explained, one must look at the person beyond their political views. This has allowed her and Thomas to be friends.
“We share a common understanding about people and kindness towards them. That’s why I can be friends with him and continue our daily battles,” she said.
Sotomayor’s praise comes despite the ideological valleys between the two, and is timely amid growing calls from Democrats this week for Thomas to resign his position.
The Washington Post reported this week that the congressional committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot obtained email communication between Ginni Thomas, the wife of Clarence, and Donald Trump campaign lawyer John Eastman, who was involved in efforts to push the unproven claim the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.
Clarence Thomas’ wife also emailed multiple lawmakers in an effort to block certification of Joe Biden’s victory, the Post reported.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) renewed her call for Thomas to be impeached from the bench during a Friday MSNBC appearance.
“The seriousness and the danger that Ms. Thompson poses to our democracy and our republic cannot be overstated. And her husband has a huge role,” she said.
In a Thursday statement, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) also called on Thomas to resign.
“Over the last few years, we have become numb to bad acts by powerful actors, but Clarence and Ginni Thomas have participated in one of the worst breaches of trust ever seen in our court system,” he said.
