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FACT BRIEF

Did the wife of US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas push Wisconsin lawmakers to throw out votes from the 2020 election?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, the conservative activist and wife of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, emailed at least three Wisconsin state lawmakers on Nov. 9, 2022, in an attempt to persuade them to overturn the results of the presidential election, in which Democrat Joe Biden defeated Republican President Donald Trump.  

Thomas sent the emails to state Rep. Gary Tauchen and state Sens. Kathy Bernier and Andre Jacque, at virtually the same time that she emailed over two dozen Arizona lawmakers with the same message: "ensure that a clean slate of Electors is chosen for our state" and "fight back against fraud."

Bernier said she did not recall receiving the email and that aside from that, she had no contact with Thomas. 

In September, Thomas agreed to be interviewed by the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Content Image
This is a copy of the email from Ginni Thomas to Wisconsin state Sen. Andre Jacque urging him to disregard the results of the 2020 election. The email was obtained by the group Documented under a public records request.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Washington Post Ginni Thomas pressed Wisconsin lawmakers to overturn Biden’s 2020 victory
AP News Ginni Thomas emails urged new 2020 electors in Wisconsin
Documented Email Reveals Ginni Thomas Urged Another Wisconsin…
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.