Moira smith clarence thomas images

On Oct. 7, the night an audio tape emerged of Donald Trump bragging about sexual assault, a lawyer named Moira Smith described her own alleged experience of unwanted sexual contact: In 1999, she wrote on Facebook, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas groped her twice at a dinner party.

“At the age of 24, I found out I’d be attending a dinner at my boss’s house” with Thomas, Smith wrote.

At the time, she was living in Washington, D.C., as a Truman scholar. “I was so incredibly excited to meet him, rough confirmation hearings notwithstanding. He was charming in many ways—giant, booming laugh, charismatic, approachable.” Smith continued:

To my complete shock, he groped me while I was setting the table, suggesting I should sit “right next to him.” When I feebly explained that I’d been assigned to the other table, he groped again … “are you *sure*??” I said I was and proceeded to keep my distance.

Smith noted that she had been raped