Christian Group Demands Clarence Thomas Recuse Himself From Trump Case
Source: Newsweek
Published Feb 23, 2024 at 12:27 PM EST | Updated Feb 23, 2024 at 12:28 PM EST
A petition created by a large online religious community calling for conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from Donald Trump's immunity case is gaining traction. The former president has sought judgment from the court in his election interference and classified documents cases. Immunity claims in the election-related case, brought on by the Department of Justice (DOJ) following Trump's alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his loss to President Joe Biden, face uncertainty after a federal appeals court's three-judge panel rejected the claims on February 6.
Thomas, who joined the court in 1991 and is its most senior member, and his wife, Ginni, have been scrutinized for questionable relationships with influential Republicans in addition to Ginni allegedly helping Trump try to win in 2020. The relationships include ties to billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow and conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo, the co-chairman and former executive vice president of the conservative Federalist Society.
"Thomas may have a significant impact on the outcome of this important case despite the facts that he has received unethical payouts from religious-right activists like Leonard Leo and that his wife, Ginni, played a central role in trying to overturn the election," Faithful America said about its petition. "As Christians called to the holy work of truth and justice, we must come together in this critical moment to demand that Clarence Thomas recuse himself. With Christian nationalism on the rise now more than ever, threatening both American democracy and the church, we have what may be only a matter of days to act. Time is of the essence."
Reverend Nathan Empsall, executive director of Faithful America, told Newsweek via email on Friday that allowing Thomas to rule on Trump-related cases "is yet another example of the reality that the Christian-nationalist insurrection didn't end on January 6." "Protecting our democracy and freedom is key to protecting our Christian values of love, equality and justice—and if Justice Thomas fails to recuse himself, his relationships to Trump's wealthy religious-right cronies like Leo and Crow and his wife's election denial could put that democracy on that line," Empsall said.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/christian-groups-petition-demands-clarence-thomas-recuse-trump-case-1872928
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