By — Dan Cooney Dan Cooney Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/who-is-ginni-thomas-and-why-is-she-important-to-the-jan-6-hearings Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Who is Ginni Thomas and why is she important to the Jan. 6 hearings? Politics Updated on Jun 20, 2022 3:47 PM EDT — Published on Jun 17, 2022 4:07 PM EDT The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has invited Ginni Thomas to speak before the panel. WATCH: Jan. 6 committee examines how Trump pressured Pence to overturn the 2020 election Thomas is a conservative activist, attorney and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. She was in touch with White House and other officials following the 2020 election, advocating for efforts to overturn the results of the presidential race. The Jan. 6 committee obtained emails between Thomas and John Eastman, a legal adviser to former President Donald Trump, the Washington Post reported, citing people “involved in the committee’s investigation.” Eastman advocated that Pence had the authority to send Joe Biden’s electors back to the states and reject the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Pence rejected the theory, according to information provided by the House committee, but still received pressure from Trump and Eastman to overturn the election. READ MORE: Who are the witnesses testifying at the Jan. 6 hearings? Thomas emailed Arizona state lawmakers, asking them to “stand strong in the face of political and media pressure” and “take action to ensure that a clean slate of Electors is chosen,” according to reporting by the Washington Post. Biden won Arizona in the 2020 election. Thomas also messaged with then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows about efforts to overturn the election results, according to reporting by the Post and CBS News. On Thursday, after the House committee’s latest hearing, chairperson Bennie Thompson told reporters that “we have sent Ms. Thomas a letter” inviting her to speak with them. Thomas told The Daily Caller, a conservative news outlet, that she “can’t wait to clear up misconceptions. I look forward to talking to them.” For more on the key players in the Jan. 6 committee hearings, click here. By — Dan Cooney Dan Cooney Dan Cooney is the PBS NewsHour's Social Media Producer/Coordinator. @IAmDanCooney
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has invited Ginni Thomas to speak before the panel. WATCH: Jan. 6 committee examines how Trump pressured Pence to overturn the 2020 election Thomas is a conservative activist, attorney and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. She was in touch with White House and other officials following the 2020 election, advocating for efforts to overturn the results of the presidential race. The Jan. 6 committee obtained emails between Thomas and John Eastman, a legal adviser to former President Donald Trump, the Washington Post reported, citing people “involved in the committee’s investigation.” Eastman advocated that Pence had the authority to send Joe Biden’s electors back to the states and reject the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Pence rejected the theory, according to information provided by the House committee, but still received pressure from Trump and Eastman to overturn the election. READ MORE: Who are the witnesses testifying at the Jan. 6 hearings? Thomas emailed Arizona state lawmakers, asking them to “stand strong in the face of political and media pressure” and “take action to ensure that a clean slate of Electors is chosen,” according to reporting by the Washington Post. Biden won Arizona in the 2020 election. Thomas also messaged with then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows about efforts to overturn the election results, according to reporting by the Post and CBS News. On Thursday, after the House committee’s latest hearing, chairperson Bennie Thompson told reporters that “we have sent Ms. Thomas a letter” inviting her to speak with them. Thomas told The Daily Caller, a conservative news outlet, that she “can’t wait to clear up misconceptions. I look forward to talking to them.” For more on the key players in the Jan. 6 committee hearings, click here.