In a televised interview broadcast this weekend, retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who left the court in June when the justices began their summer break, says he has not heard that the person has been identified. Breyer, 84, was speaking with CNN anchor Chris Wallace. According to a transcript provided by the network, Wallace asked about the leak, which happened in May: “Within 24 hours the judge ordered an investigation into the leaker. Have they found him?’ “Not that I’m aware of, but … I’m not aware of,” Breyer replies. Wallace presses: “Well, in the months since then, the judge has never said, ‘Hey, do we have our husband or wife?’ “As far as I know, no,” replied Breyer, who despite being retired maintains an office on the Supreme Court. The interview will air Sunday on “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” Other judges have also recently said that the burglar’s identity remains unknown in court. At a conference in Colorado this month, Judge Neil Gorsuch said it was “tremendously important” to identify the leaker and that he expected a report on the progress of the investigation, “hopefully soon.” Justice Elena Kagan also said recently that she does not know whether the investigation ordered by Roberts has determined the source of the leak. Breyer, a liberal appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton, also discussed a number of other issues with Wallace. It was about Virginia Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of Judge Clarence Thomas, and her involvement in helping former President Donald Trump try to overturn his election loss. Thomas faced criticism for texting White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and contacting lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin in the weeks after the election. He recently agreed to participate in a voluntary interview with the House panel investigating the January 6 riot. “I strongly believe that women who are wise, including wives of Supreme Court justices, should make the decisions about how to live their lives, their careers, what kind of career, etc., for themselves. Well, on this sort of thing, I see where you’re going, but I’m not going there. … I’m not going to criticize Ginny Thomas, whom I like. I’m not going to criticize Clarence I like him. And here we are,” Breyer said. Breyer, who watched his liberal colleague, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, choose not to retire when President Barack Obama could have named a like-minded replacement, said he would miss being on the court, but that the time to go. Ginsburg died near the end of former President Donald Trump’s term, and he nominated conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett to replace her. Barrett was confirmed just days before the presidential election that ousted Trump. “I’ve been doing it for a long time. Other people should have a chance. The world is changing. And we don’t know, honestly, what would happen if I stayed there and stayed there. How long should I stay there? … I owe loyalty to the court, which means don’t mess things up. Do things in regular order,” Breyer said.
