Petition to oust Thomas from SCOTUS gets 1M signatures
Justice Clarence Thomas sits during a group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington, on Friday, April 23, 2021. In concurring with the majority to decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Thomas suggested reconsidering rulings on same-sex marriage and access to contraceptives.
(Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File)
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(The Hill) — An online petition that calls for the removal of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has attracted over 1 million signatures.
The petition, titled “Impeach Justice Clarence Thomas,” was created on the public advocacy organization website MoveOn in May.
The petition description cited Thomas’s vote to overturn Roe v. Wade as reasoning for his removal.
“Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — who sided with the majority on overturning Roe — made it clear what’s next: to overturn high court rulings that establish gay rights and contraception rights,” the petition reads.
The description also mentioned Thomas’s wife, Ginni Thomas, and her role in encouraging members of the Trump administration to continue to challenge the 2020 election results.
The Supreme Court earlier this year rejected a request by former President Trump to prevent the release of documents related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Thomas was the only Justice to dissent on the matter.
“He has shown he cannot be an impartial justice and is more concerned with covering up his wife’s coup attempts than the health of the Supreme Court.”
“He must resign — or Congress must immediately investigate and impeach,” the petition concluded.
The petition has garnered more than 1.1 million signatures and urges Congress to either investigate or impeach Thomas for his actions.
It follows a similar one created by George Washington University students last week in an effort to remove Thomas from his teaching position with the Washington, D.C., university.
The student-led petition came after the high court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 ruling that determined a woman’s right to abortion was constitutional.
In a schoolwide letter, GWU officials said they don’t have plans to remove Thomas as an adjunct instructor in their law school, saying that he did not violate the school’s policy on academic freedom.
“Just as we affirm our commitment to academic freedom, we affirm the right of all members of our community to voice their opinions and contribute to the critical discussion that is foundational to our academic mission,” school officials wrote in their letter.
