On October 7, 2022, Judge Clarence Thomas took a group photo at the Supreme Court Building in Washington. He also denounced Washington, D.C., as a “terrible place.”
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
hide title
Switch title
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
On October 7, 2022, Judge Clarence Thomas took a group photo at the Supreme Court Building in Washington. He also denounced Washington, D.C., as a “terrible place.”
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told attendees at a judicial conference Friday that he and his wife have faced “filth” and “lies” over the past few years, and denounced Washington, D.C., as a “terrible place.”
Thomas spoke at a meeting of judges, attorneys and other court personnel at the 11th Judicial Circuit Conference, which hears federal cases from Alabama, Florida and Georgia. He made these remarks in response to a question about working in a seemingly mean-spirited world, rebutting his critics.
“I think there are challenges. We live in a world where we – certainly my wife and I in the last two or three years – have been filled with so much nastiness and lies that it’s unbelievable,” Thomas said .
“But you have some choices. You can’t stop people from doing terrible things or saying terrible things. But you have to understand and accept the fact that they can’t change you unless you let them,” Thomas said.
Thomas has been criticized for accepting luxury trips from Republican donors without reporting them. Thomas insisted last year that he did not have to report travel expenses paid for by one of “our dearest friends.” His wife, conservative activist Ginni Thomas, has faced criticism for using her Facebook page to amplify unsubstantiated corruption claims against Democratic President Joe Biden.
He did not directly discuss the criticism but said “reckless” people in Washington would “bomb your reputation.”
“They’re not necessarily going to bomb you, but they’re going to bomb your reputation, your good name or your honor. It’s not a crime. But they can do just as much damage that way,” Thomas said.
During his appearance, Thomas was questioned by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, one of Thomas’ former law clerks who was later appointed to the federal bench. During the hour-long appearance, the court’s longest-serving judge discussed a wide range of topics, including lessons learned from his grandfather, his friendships with former colleagues and his belief that courtroom texts and discussions should be more accessible to Beliefs understood by “ordinary people”.
Thomas calls Washington ‘a terrible place’
Thomas, who has spent most of his working life in Washington, D.C., also spoke of his distaste for it.
“I think what you’ll find, especially in Washington, is that people take pride in how bad they are. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a scary place,” Thomas said. Thomas said this is one of the reasons he and his wife “love RVing.”
“The average person around you is not going to take pride in doing something harmful just because they have the ability to do it or because they don’t agree with it,” Thomas said.
The recreational vehicle Thomas used also became a focus of controversy. Senate Democrats released a report in October that said much of a $267,000 loan Thomas took out to buy a high-end passenger car appeared to have been forgiven.
Thomas did not discuss the court’s high-profile caseload.
The judge said he believed it was important to use language in court rulings so that the law could be understood by the average person.
“I think the way we talk about cases sometimes disenfranchises ordinary people,” Thomas said.
Thomas wasn’t the only judge to speak Friday.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh said on Friday that U.S. history shows that court decisions that are unpopular at the time can later become “part of the Constitution of the United States.”
Kavanaugh spoke Friday during a meeting of judges, attorneys and other court personnel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi and is the most conservative circuit. one.
