Clarence Thomas hires clerk with Alabama ties accused of sending racist text
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has hired a law clerk accused of sending a text message, while she worked for a conservative nonprofit organization, that stated, “I HATE BLACK PEOPLE.”
George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School last week announced that Thomas had hired Crystal Clanton, who is a graduate of the school. She was previously hired by Chief U.S. Circuit Judge William Pryor.
Clanton was also previously employed by Thomas’ wife Ginni, a conservative activist.
Thomas hired Clanton as a judicial clerk for the 2024-25 term. She previously served as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Corey Maze in Birmingham.
“After Judge Maze recounted to me how well Crystal performed in her clerkship on the district court, I had high expectations for her on the Eleventh Circuit,” Pryor said in a statement released by the school.
“And she exceeded those expectations. Crystal is an outstanding law clerk.”
Clanton was a former national field director for the conservative student group Turning Point USA.
A 2017 New Yorker story reported that Clanton, who was 20 at the time, had sent a text message to a colleague stating “I HATE BLACK PEOPLE … I hate blacks. End of story.”
Clanton, who resigned from the position, said that she had no recollection of the messages, which “do not reflect what I believe or who I am.”
The New York Times reported that Thomas has called the allegations against Clanton unfounded, and says he does not believe her to be a racist.
After Clanton was selected for her clerkships in 2021, members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee filed an ethics complaint against Pryor and Maze.