The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack plans to seek testimony from conservative activist Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the panel’s chair said Thursday.
The latest: Thomas told the Daily Caller she would agree to an interview. “I can’t wait to clear up misconceptions. I look forward to talking to them," she said.
Why it matters: The decision comes after public and private wavering among committee members in recent weeks over the importance of Thomas’ role in Jan. 6 and former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the election.
- Thomas played an active role in pushing then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to take measures to help overturn the 2020 election results, according to texts obtained by the Washington Post and CBS News.
- The committee had reportedly been leaning against inviting Thomas to testify as recently as last month.
Driving the news: Emails obtained by the panel reveal correspondence between Thomas and legal scholar John Eastman, a central figure in former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
- Other emails, reported by the New York Times, reveal that Eastman messaged a pro-Trump lawyer claiming to have insight into a "heated fight" between Supreme Court justices over whether to hear an election case.
What they’re saying: “We think it’s time that we, at some point, invite her to come talk to the committee,” Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told Axios.
- Thompson said of the committee's reasoning, "We have discovered in those Eastman [emails] some information that refers to Ginni Thomas," but declined to go into further detail about what she'll be asked.
- Asked when the invite will go out, Thompson said, "Soon."
What's next: The panel's Thursday hearing will focus on Trump's efforts to pressure former Vice President Mike Pence into unilaterally rejecting electors, based on a theory championed by Eastman.
