A conservative group headed by the wife of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says it is not taking a position on the constitutionality of the Democrats' healthcare overhaul, despite a position paper that carried her name.
The latest controversy involving Virginia Thomas appears to have begun when the position paper was posted on the website of Liberty Central, a conservative group that she founded last year. Liberty Central did not issue the paper, the group said in a statement today, but instead was relaying it from another group, the Conservative Action Project.
The position paper reads in part, regarding the new healthcare law: “With the U.S. Constitution on our side and the hearts and minds of the American people with us, freedom will prevail.”
The position paper, which is still available on Liberty Central’s website, originally included Virginia Thomas’ name, according to a story today in the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper cites legal experts questioning her involvement, given that the constitutionality of parts of the healthcare law could be considered by the Supreme Court.
In response to the Los Angeles Times story, Liberty Central released a statement today saying that the position paper carried Virginia Thomas’ name by mistake.
“She did not review the memo, it was reviewed by staff who mistakenly signed off with her name on it,” says the statement from Sarah Field, COO and counsel for Liberty Central. “As a result, we have asked CAP to remove her name and they did so immediately. Liberty Central assiduously avoids taking a position on the constitutionality of this, and other issues, and will continue to do so in the future.”
Virginia Thomas also made headlines this week when news broke that she left a voice message on the office phone of Anita Hill, who in 1991 accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment.
UPDATE (5:14 p.m.): The position paper has been removed. Click here (PDF) for the page as of 11:32 a.m.
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