January 6 committee could subpoena Ginni Thomas

By Daniella Diaz, CNN

The committee investigating the events surrounding the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol will “contemplate a subpoena” for Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, if she does not voluntarily meet with the committee over her role in advocating to overturn the 2020 election results, the committee’s co-chair said Sunday.

Rep. Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican who serves as the vice chair of the committee, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” Sunday that the committee is speaking with Thomas’ counsel.

“We certainly hope that she will agree to come in voluntarily, but the committee is fully prepared to contemplate a subpoena if she does not. I hope it doesn’t get to that. I hope she will come in voluntarily,” Cheney said. “So it’s very important for us to speak with her and as I said, I hope she will agree to do so voluntarily but I’m sure we will contemplate a subpoena if she won’t.”

The committee has asked Thomas, a conservative activist, to meet with the panel and provide documents that could be relevant to the investigation. The committee has email correspondence between Thomas and former President Donald Trump’s election attorney John Eastman, as well as texts between her and Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. The texts show Thomas urging Meadows to continue the fight to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Eastman and Meadows have also been subjects of the committee’s investigation.

A lawyer for Thomas said in a letter to the House select committee last month that he “does not believe there is currently a sufficient basis to speak with” Thomas.

This story has been updated to include additional background.

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