Key takeaways:
- The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from former Donald Trump legal adviser John Eastman, who sought to shield his emails from investigators.
- Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas recused himself from the case for the first time.
- The Supreme Court’s order noted that Justice Thomas “took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.”
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from former Donald Trump legal adviser John Eastman, who had sought to shield his emails from investigators with the House select committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Eastman, a former law professor at Chapman University, had crafted a legal strategy in which he claimed former Vice President Mike Pence had the authority to reject the certification of the 2020 election results.
In a notable move, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas for the first time recused himself from the case. Thomas had participated last year when the court rejected Trump’s bid to prevent White House documents from being handed over to the House committee investigating Jan. 6.
Eastman had served as a law clerk to the justice, and emails obtained by the House panel showed that Ginni Thomas, the justice’s wife, corresponded with the conservative lawyer. Thomas was the only justice to signal support for Trump’s legal arguments.
The Supreme Court’s unsigned order turning away Eastman’s case noted that Justice Thomas “took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.” It is unclear why Thomas recused himself from the case.
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