Topline
A conservative activist group led by Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, received nearly $600,000 from anonymous donors, the Washington Post reports, the latest in a series of controversies Thomas has faced for her work as a right-wing activist that raise the specter of possible ethical conflicts with her husband’s work.
Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, arrives for an interview with the … [+]
Key Facts
Crowdsourcers for Culture and Liberty, which was formed in 2019 and is described in tax filings as an “informal … incubator for ideas across a network of conservative leaders, cultural entrepreneurs, and cultural influences,” received $596,000 between 2019 and the end of 2021, the Post reports.
The payments were funneled through the right-wing think tank Capital Research Center (CRC) as a “fiscal sponsorship,” according to the Post, which means Crowdsourcers did not have to disclose donors behind the payment, or information about the group’s activities and spending that would have been required if it registered as a nonprofit.
Financial documents cited by the Post do not say how Crowdsourcers spent the $596,000 or if Thomas received any payment, and while CRC’s fiscal sponsorship said it provided “fiduciary oversight, financial management and other administrative services to help build the capacity” of Crowdsourcers, former CRC chairman Michael Franc told the Post it had no role in raising the money that was sent to Crowdsourcers.
CRC, a self-described “investigative think tank” that uncovers left-wing influence campaigns, filed its only amicus brief before the Supreme Court the same year as its funding arrangement with Crowdsourcers began, the Post reports, in a lawsuit over fuel regulations in Oregon that the court ultimately declined to take up.
That could present an ethical issue and be a reason for Clarence Thomas to have recused himself if Thomas was paid for her work with Crowdsourcers, New York University legal ethics expert Stephen Gillers told the Post.
Thomas’ attorney Mark Paoletta told the Post “there is no plausible conflict of interest issue with respect to Justice Thomas” regarding Thomas’ Crowdsourcers work, and said Thomas “complied with all reporting and disclosure requirements.”
Chief Critic
Thomas was “proud of the work she did with Crowdsourcers, which brought together conservative leaders to discuss amplifying conservative values with respect to the battle over culture,” Paoletta said in a statement to the Post. Thomas has previously denied any impropriety involving her work and her husband’s work at the Supreme Court, telling House investigators she can “guarantee that my husband has never spoken to me about pending cases in the court” and she “generally [doesn’t] discuss with him my day-to-day work in politics.”
Surprising Fact
Thomas told supporters that Crowdsourcers’ partners in the early days of its operations included right-wing attorney Cleta Mitchell, who told the Post she “did not know anything about Crowdsourcers and that nothing ever came of the political action committee.” Other major right-wing figures that Thomas said were involved with the group, including Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe and Turning Point USA president Charlie Kirk, did not respond to requests for comment. According to the Post, Crowdsourcers’ communications were done through a private Google group, and emails contained warnings not to reveal members’ identities.
Key Background
Thomas has come under significant scrutiny in recent months for her right-wing activism and its potential ramifications on her husband’s work. A series of reports have detailed Thomas’ efforts to help overturn the 2020 election, including communications with then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and putting pressure on battleground state lawmakers to challenge the election results, which came as her husband considered cases on the issue. The Post notes concerns about Thomas’ political activism date back much further, however, as Thomas initially formed a right-wing nonprofit in 2010 that she later stepped away from amid concerns about its funding. Politico reported a $500,000 donation to the nonprofit had come from Texas real estate magnate Harlan Crow, who also has ties to Clarence Thomas. Ginni Thomas then formed Liberty Consulting, a for-profit conservative activist firm that is not subject to the same reporting requirements as nonprofits.
Further Reading
Activist group led by Ginni Thomas received nearly $600,000 in anonymous donations (Washington Post)
Ginni Thomas—Wife Of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas—Went To The Jan. 6 Rally, She Says (Forbes)
Ginni Thomas Won’t Testify to Jan. 6 Committee, Lawyer Says — Here’s What We Know About Her Efforts To Overturn The Election (Forbes)
Is Ginni Thomas a Threat to the Supreme Court? (New Yorker)
Chief Justice Roberts’ Wife Is Latest Supreme Court Spouse To Spark Ethics Concerns (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/03/28/ginni-thomas-led-conservative-group-reportedly-raised-600000-but-we-dont-know-who-from/