Attorney for Ginni Thomas asks January 6 panel for 'better justification' before interview

An attorney for Virginia "Ginni" Thomas is telling the Democrat-led January 6 committee that he will not decide on whether to tell his client to sit for an interview until they have "better justification for why Mrs. Thomas's testimony is relevant."

"Based on my understanding of the communications that spurred the Committee's request, I do not understand the need to speak with Mrs. Thomas," wrote Mark Paoletta in an eight-page letter to the committee.

The committee learned that Thomas corresponded with Trump attorney John Eastman, who was involved with the former president's post-election effort to prevent the certification of the electoral college, prompting it to take an interest in Thomas.

Last week, committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said he expected Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, to appear before the committee, though the parties had not yet agreed to "parameters" for her interview.

In his letter, however, Paoletta expressed "serious concern" about the panel's effort to meet with Thomas, writing that "the Thomases have been subjected to an avalanche of death threats and other abuse." Furthermore, he argued that he did not find a "single document" that showed coordination between Thomas and Eastman. 

"And further, all of these emails were exchanged on or before December 9, before the electors met and were certified by each of their state," he wrote. "Importantly, Mrs. Thomas never claimed to have first-hand knowledge about election fraud."

Thomas previously expressed a desire to speak with the January 6 panel to "clear up misconceptions."