Thomas criticizes broken confirmation process

WASHINGTON (AP) - Justice Clarence Thomas says the Supreme Court confirmation process is an example of how the nation's capital is "broken in some ways."

Thomas reflected Wednesday on his 25 years as a justice while speaking at the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank where his wife once worked.

The 68-year-old Thomas went through a very contentious confirmation in 1991, when he faced allegations that he sexually harassed Anita Hill when they were colleagues in the federal government.

Thomas says people in Washington prefer to "annihilate" someone with whom they disagree instead of confronting their disagreements.

He did not mention the stalled Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. President Barack Obama nominated Garland in March to take the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia.