Judge Clarence Thomas labeled Washington a “horrible place” full of “terrible people” and claimed that he and his wife were haunted by “trouble” and lies.
The Supreme Court justice has been the subject of intense public scrutiny over his wife Virginia Thomas’ efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his acceptance of lavish gifts from billionaire friends.
In his first extensive public comments since the scandals, Friday at a judicial conference in Alabama, Thomas said he and his wife had faced “trouble” and “lies.”
The New York Times reports this he said, “Especially in Washington, people pride themselves on being terrible. 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 federal abortion rights granted by Roe v Wade.
Judge Clarence Thomas was exposed last year in a series of expenses scandals
His wife, Virginia Thomas, endorsed false claims that the 2020 election was stolen
Thomas came under fire over reports that he borrowed more than a quarter of a million dollars from a friend to buy his RV
Thomas made the comments while being interviewed by former law clerk Kathryn Kimball Mizelle at the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference, held at a luxury resort in Mobile Bay.
He didn’t specify who or what he was referring to, but he made sweeping statements about the “negativity” he’s faced in recent years.
He said: ‘There has certainly been a lot of negativity in our lives over the last few years, my wife and I, but we choose not to focus on that.’
Thomas faced calls for recusal after it emerged that his wife had tried to overturn the 2020 election and endorsed false claims that the election had been stolen.
Last year, a series of investigations found that he had failed to report dozens of lavish trips and expenses paid for by Republican billionaire Harlan Crow.
The ensuing scandal called his integrity and impartiality into question, especially in the wake of the heavily politicized Roe v Wade ruling and his refusal to recuse himself from hearings related to the January 6 insurrection.
Thomas did not directly reference the scandals in his remarks, instead focusing on his career and life before politics.
He said, “I was thinking about leaving DC. I had no interest in public life.
“I came into this job and this, we pray, is to do whatever God wanted me to do, what I was called to do. But being in public life is not something I would have chosen.”
He added, “Especially in Washington, people pride themselves on being terrible. As far as I’m concerned it’s a horrible place.
“Because we like RVing in the rest of the country, you get to be around regular people who don’t take pride in doing harmful things just because they have the capacity to do it.”
He made no mention of claims that he borrowed more than a quarter of a million dollars from a friend to buy his RV.
Last April, ProPublica revealed that Thomas had failed to declare 20 years of jet-setting and luxury travel paid for by Crow on financial disclosure forms.
They revealed that Thomas had vacationed on Crow’s superyacht, flown on his Bombardier Global 5000 jet and vacationed with him at Bohemian Grove, a men-only resort in California.
Crow also reportedly paid about $100,000 in college tuition for Thomas’ great-nephew and bought the house where 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) gathered at Crow’s Adirondacks resort, Camp Topridge. The painting can be seen in the building in New York
An image of Crow’s yacht, the Michaela Rose, which was decked out with a giant inflatable rubber duck during the Thomases 2019 trip to Indonesia
They also revealed that Thomas had spent time at Crow’s ranch in East Texas and that he spent a week every summer at Crow’s private resort in New York’s Adirondacks, Camp Topridge.
Rates at a nearby hotel start at $2,250 per night, but Camp Topridge is even more exclusive, as guests must be personally invited by Crow.
It also has quirky features, including a replica of Hagrid from Harry Potter’s hut, a 1950s-style soft drink fountain and bronze statues of gnomes.
A 2019 trip that Thomas and his wife Ginni took with Crow to Indonesia — which included private flights and time aboard the yacht, named the Michaela Rose and equipped with a giant inflatable rubber duck — is believed to have cost about $500,000, the news organization said. .
Thomas’ annual salary is $285,000.