A group of House Democrats has called for action against the Supreme Court following a recent ruling that granted former President Donald Trump immunity. This decision has sparked significant controversy and led to demands for conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from a related case.
The case in question involves Trump’s eligibility to appear on Colorado’s Republican primary ballot. Trump recently appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn a Colorado court ruling that disqualified him from the ballot due to his actions leading up to the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The state’s Republican Party had also filed an appeal, and the Colorado Supreme Court put its ruling on hold to allow for these appeals, meaning Trump could remain on the ballot pending the Supreme Court’s decision.
House Democrats, led by Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee’s courts subcommittee, sent a letter to Justice Thomas urging him to recuse himself from the case. The letter argues that Thomas’s impartiality is compromised due to his wife, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, being an outspoken supporter of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
The letter states, “This time, we must urge you to recuse yourself from any involvement in the case of Anderson v. Griswold, because your impartiality is reasonably questioned by substantial numbers of fair-minded members of the public, who believe your wife Virginia (‘Ginni’) Thomas’s substantial involvement in the events leading up to the January 6 insurrection, and the financial incentive it presents for your household if President Trump is re-elected, are disqualifying.”
The lawmakers highlighted Ginni Thomas’s attendance at the “Stop the Steal” rally before the Capitol attack and her role in planning the event. They wrote, “Not only did your wife attend the January 6 rally, but she was instrumental in planning it and bringing the insurrectionists to the Capitol.”
The letter further noted, “Your wife was one of nine board members for a conservative political group that helped lead the ‘Stop the Steal’ movement, a movement which culminated in the January 6 attack that the Colorado Supreme Court deemed an insurrection. It is unthinkable that you could be impartial in deciding whether an event your wife personally organized qualifies as an ‘insurrection’ that would prevent someone from holding the office of President.”
A spokesperson for the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment on the letter.
Other Democratic representatives who signed the letter include Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, Glenn Ivey of Maryland, Gerald Connolly of Virginia, Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Dan Goldman of New York.
Justice Thomas has previously recused himself from a case related to the Capitol attack involving former Trump legal adviser John Eastman, who was one of Thomas’ former clerks. However, Thomas has faced criticism for not recusing himself from other January 6-related cases, including one concerning whether Trump has presidential immunity from federal prosecution. Rep. Johnson had previously led a letter asking Thomas to recuse himself from that case, again citing his wife’s conservative activism.
The Supreme Court recently denied special counsel Jack Smith’s request to intervene ahead of the normal appeals process in the case involving Trump’s presidential immunity.
This latest call for recusal underscores the ongoing tension and scrutiny surrounding the Supreme Court’s decisions and the perceived impartiality of its justices, particularly in cases involving former President Trump and the events of January 6.
Source: NBC News
