Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Friday at a judicial conference that he and his wife have been subjected to “evils” and “lies” over the past few years and criticized Washington, D.C., calling it a “dreadful place.”
Thomas delivered a speech at a conference attended by judges, attorneys and other court staff at the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference. The judge was answering a question about working in a world that seems petty when he dismissed her critics.
“I think that poses challenges,” Thomas said. “We're in a world and we (certainly my wife and I have been for the last two or three years) just the evil and the lies, it's just unbelievable.”
“But you have some options,” he continued. You can't stop people from doing or saying horrible things. But you have to understand and accept the fact that they can't change you unless you allow it.”
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Associate Justice Clarence Thomas has come under fire for reports that he failed to disclose gifts from a major Republican donor. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Thomas, a conservative justice on the court, has faced recent criticism over allegations that he accepted luxury trips from a Republican donor without informing them. Last year he maintained that he did not have to report trips paid for by one of his friends.
His wife, conservative activist Ginni Thomas, has also been criticized for using her Facebook page to push claims that President Biden was involved in corruption.
Judge Thomas did not directly address the details of the criticism, but he did say that “reckless” people in Washington, D.C., will “bombard your reputation.”
“They don't necessarily bombard you, but they bombard your reputation, your good name or your honor,” he said. “And that's not a crime. But that way they can cause the same damage.”
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Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at the Heritage Foundation on October 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, who previously served as Thomas' law clerk, asked Thomas questions.
Topics Thomas spoke about during his remarks included lessons from his grandfather, his friendships with former colleagues and his belief that judicial writings and debates should be more accessible to the public.
Thomas, the longest-serving judge after being appointed to the bench in 1991, has spent most of his working life in Washington, D.C., and expressed his distaste for the district.
“I think what you're going to find, especially in Washington, is that people take pride in being horrible. It's a horrible place as far as I'm concerned,” Thomas said, adding that this is one of the reasons he and his wife like traveling in recreational vehicles.
Judge Thomas said that “reckless” people in Washington, D.C., will “bombard your reputation.” (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
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“You can be surrounded by normal people who don't take pride in doing harmful things, simply because they have the ability to do so or because they don't agree,” he said.
A recreational vehicle used by Thomas also sparked controversy last year. In October, Senate Democrats issued a report saying that most of the $267,000 loan Thomas took out to buy a high-end bus appears to have been forgiven.
Thomas also said he believes it is important to use language in court rulings so that the average person can interpret the law.
“I think ordinary people are sometimes disenfranchised because of the way we talk about cases,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
