Key Facts
Career & Education
About
Virginia 'Ginni' Thomas (née Lamp), born in 1957, is an American attorney, conservative activist, and consultant best known as the wife of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, whom she married in 1987. Raised in Omaha, Nebraska, as the youngest of four children in a Republican family—her mother Marjorie Lamp was active in the Nebraska GOP and her father was an engineer—she developed an early interest in politics, volunteering for local campaigns. Thomas earned undergraduate degrees in business communication and political science from Creighton University in 1979 and a law degree from Creighton University School of Law in 1983. Her career includes roles at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The Heritage Foundation, legislative offices, and as associate vice president at Hillsdale College to establish its Kirby Center in Washington, D.C. She founded the nonprofit Liberty Central in 2009 as a hub for Tea Party activists opposing Barack Obama's agenda, including the Affordable Care Act, and launched Liberty Consulting in 2010 to provide strategic advice to conservative leaders and nonprofits. Thomas has held leadership positions in groups like Groundswell and maintains ties to figures such as Leonard Leo. She has been a prominent figure in conservative activism for over 35 years, moderating panels at CPAC, aspiring to run for Congress, and engaging deeply in efforts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results. She texted White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows urging action to overturn Joe Biden's victory, emailed Arizona and Wisconsin lawmakers to select alternate electors based on fraud claims, corresponded with lawyer John Eastman on election strategies, and attended the January 6, 2021, 'Stop the Steal' rally but left before the Capitol riot. She testified before the House January 6 Committee in 2022 and signed a letter calling for the expulsion of Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger from the GOP. Her activism on issues like abortion, gun rights, and Obamacare—cases before the Supreme Court—has raised ethics concerns about Justice Thomas's recusals, drawing scrutiny from Democrats and legal experts, including calls for Supreme Court ethics reforms.