Legal News

The Newest Member of the Third Estate: Virginia Thomas

By Ashby Jones

The Daily Caller, a conservative politics and news website founded by Tucker Carlson, added an interesting voice to its blend of news and commentary on Tuesday: Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Thomas will work as a special correspondent for the publication, working part time. According to Carlson, Thomas will focus “on "identifying and interviewing people who might in the future become influential in politics or who are already influential but who you may not know about." Click here for the Politico story.

Said Thomas, in a statement: "It is a privilege to join such a fast-growing platform with a capable, fun-loving team who are filling a niche that the dinosaur media has underserved.”

The move is likely to spawn more ire from liberal groups, who’ve criticized her speaking out on political issues given her husband’s job. congressionan outspoken advocate for the tea party movement. Some liberal groups – and 74 House Democrats - have called on Justice Thomas to recuse himself from any cases related to health care reform because reports suggest that Ginni may have financially benefited from efforts to overturn the legislation.

Carlson dismissed questions about Clarence Thomas's objectivity, but said he "wouldn't imagine [Ginni Thomas] would feel comfortable" writing about issues before the Supreme Court.

The money quote in the Politico story, though, came from Common Cause, the left-leaning government watchdog group. "We're glad she has found work in this tough economy," the group tweeted Tuesday morning.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on March 23, 2011 (boomark / email).