Liberty_Central
Liberty Central
Defunct U.S. political advocacy organization
Liberty Central was a non-profit conservative political advocacy group founded in 2009 by Virginia Thomas, the wife of U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, and Leonard Leo.[1] Virginia Thomas was the president and CEO.[2] The group ceased operations in 2012.[3]
| Formation | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 2012 |
| Legal status | 501(c)(4) |
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
Region served | United States |
President and CEO | Virginia Thomas |
Its declared purpose was stated on its website as "America's Public Square. We Listen. We Inspire. We Activate ... to secure the blessings of liberty."[4] The organization was promoted at the 2010 Conservative Political Action Conference as "an online community for those seeking to "preserve freedom and reaffirm the core founding principles."[5] Ed Morrissey, a prominent conservative blogger who runs Hotair.com, said the Liberty Central site would provide education in history and the Constitution for tea party activists.[5]
The group was founded with seed money of $550,000 coming from two donors whose names were undisclosed.[6] In a February 2011 article, Politico reported that the initial $500,000 contribution came from Dallas real estate investor and conservative philanthropist Harlan Crow.[7][8]
Liberty Central activities have included hosting a live web cast on October 20, 2010, in conjunction with the Family Research Council to protest the January 2011 expiration of tax cuts that were passed in 2001 and 2003.[2]
According to United Press International, the Liberty Central group has been highly critical of U.S. President Barack Obama.[6]
Thomas has been criticized for her involvement in Liberty Central because someone who contributes to the group may have a case before the Supreme Court.[6] However, there is no law limiting what Thomas can do, and according to some legal experts Supreme Court Justices are not required to recuse themselves from cases where they may have a conflict of interest.[6]
On October 21, 2010, Thomas was specifically criticized for taking a position, via Liberty Central, on an issue that was likely to come before the Supreme Court - whether the 2010 health care legislation was unconstitutional.[9] A memo signed by Thomas that called for the repeal of the law and that was posted on the Liberty Central website was removed following the criticism. A Liberty Central spokesperson explained that Thomas had not personally reviewed the memo and that it been mistakenly approved by a staff member, and had been circulated by another group, the Conservative Action Project.[9][10]
- Michaelson, Jay (July 9, 2018). "The Secrets of Leonard Leo, the Man Behind Trump's Supreme Court Pick". Daily Beast. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- "FRC Action and Liberty Central to Host Live Webcast on Looming Massive Tax Hikes". Washington D.C.: PR Newswire. 2010-10-20. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- Piper, Jessica (5 June 2019). "Virginia Thomas, wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, extends her conservative reach for 2020". OpenSecrets.
- "About Us « Liberty Central". Libertycentral.org. Archived from the original on 2010-10-23. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- Tony Mauro (2010-02-23). "Virginia Thomas Launching 'Liberty Central' Site". The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. The Legal Times. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- "Justice's wife heads political group". UPI.com. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- Kenneth P. Vogel; Marin Cogan; John Bresnahan (February 4, 2011). "Justice Thomas's wife Virginia Thomas now a lobbyist". Politico. p. 2. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
- Mike McIntire (June 18, 2011). "Friendship of Justice and Magnate Puts Focus on Ethics". NY Times. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
- Kathleen Hennessey (2010-10-22). "Virginia Thomas' group backs off on calling healthcare law unconstitutional". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- "Thomas's Wife Is Off Memo List". The New York Times. Bloomberg News. 2010-10-21. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- Jackie Calmes (2010-10-09). "Activism of Thomas's Wife Could Raise Judicial Issues". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- "Conservative Spotlight: Liberty Central". Human Events. 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- "Ginni Thomas's Threat to Ordered Liberty - By Shannen Coffin - The Corner - National Review Online". Nationalreview.com. 2010-10-13. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- Faughnan, Brian (2010-10-14). "Rush Limbaugh Defends Liberty Central Against Media Attacks « Liberty Central". Libertycentral.org. Retrieved 2010-10-23.