House Democrats Call on Justice Clarence Thomas to Recuse Himself
Washington — A group of House Democrats is calling on Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from the case pending before the Supreme Court involving whether former President Donald Trump is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for alleged crimes committed while in office.
Led by Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson, the group of eight Democrats told Thomas in a letter dated Dec. 15 that the activities of his wife, Ginni Thomas, after the 2020 election raise "serious questions" about his ability to remain impartial in cases before the high court that involve the last presidential election and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The Democrats pointed to the new code of conduct adopted by the Supreme Court last month, which encourages a justice to step aside in a proceeding in which their impartiality may be questioned. Among those instances are when a justice's spouse has an "interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding."
The new ethics rules, however, do not include an enforcement mechanism. Recusal decisions are made by each justice, and they are not required to provide an explanation for why they decided not to participate in a case.
Democratic Lawmakers Urge Supreme Court Justice to Recuse from United States v. Trump
"If you want to show the American people that the Supreme Court's recent code of conduct is worth more than the paper it is written on, you must do the honorable thing and recuse yourself from any decisions in the case of United States v. Trump," the Democratic lawmakers wrote, referencing the name of the case pending before the Supreme Court.
The other Democrats who signed the letter along with Johnson are Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, Gerry Connolly of Virginia, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Dan Goldman of New York.
Special counsel Jack Smith asked the high court last week to swiftly decide whether Trump is shielded from federal prosecution for allegedly attempting to stop the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election. The special counsel has requested the justices take up the case before a federal appeals court can weigh in on the matter, and the Supreme Court said last week it would accelerate its consideration of whether to step in.
Trump has until Wednesday to submit a response to Smith's request.
The former president has been charged with four criminal counts stemming from his alleged attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Democrats Call on Justice Thomas to Recuse Himself from Trump Case
A group of Democratic lawmakers has sent a letter to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, urging him to recuse himself from the case involving former President Donald Trump's attempt to dismiss criminal charges against him. The Democrats argue that Justice Thomas' impartiality may be compromised due to his close ties to a major Republican donor and his wife's alleged involvement in Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Trump had asked a federal district judge to dismiss the charges against him, claiming immunity for actions performed within the "outer perimeter" of his official duties. However, the judge rejected his request and allowed the prosecution to move forward. Trump appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which is currently reviewing the case.
In their letter to Justice Thomas, the Democrats expressed concern about the public's trust in the Supreme Court and accused the justice of contributing to the court's damaged reputation. They pointed to his close relationship with a Republican donor who provided luxury travel and accommodations to Justice Thomas and his wife over the years.
The Democrats also raised questions about Justice Thomas' wife, Ginni Thomas, and her alleged involvement in Trump's attempts to overturn the election results. They highlighted her correspondence with Mark Meadows, Trump's former White House chief of staff, regarding efforts to reverse President Biden's victory in Wisconsin.
Ginni Thomas had previously testified before the House select committee investigating the January 6 riot, claiming that she did not discuss the legal challenges surrounding the 2020 election with her husband and that he was unaware of her text messages with Meadows.
