Justice Thomas decries 'nastiness' and 'lies' against him

Justice Clarence Thomas poses for a photo at the Supreme Court building in Washington on Oct. 7, 2022. Thomas told attendees at a judicial conference Friday that he and his wife have faced "nastiness and lies" over the last several years. He also decried Washington, D.C., as a "hideous place." (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told attendees at a judicial conference Friday that he and his wife have faced "nastiness" and "lies" over the last several years and decried Washington, D.C., as a "hideous place."

Thomas spoke at a conference attended by judges, attorneys and other court personnel in the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference, which hears federal cases from Alabama, Florida and Georgia. He made the comments pushing back on his critics in response to a question about working in a world that seems meanspirited.