Justice Clarence Thomas Recuses Himself As Supreme Court Rejects Appeal By Trump's Former Legal Adviser

Justice Clarence Thomas has taken a step back from a Supreme Court case involving the former legal adviser of Donald Trump, John Eastman. It marks the first time Thomas has recused himself from a case connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack by then-President Trump’s supporters.

As NBC News reported, Thomas participated last year when the court rejected Trump’s bid to prevent White House documents from being disclosed to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 incident. At the time, Thomas was the only justice to show support for Trump’s legal arguments.

However, in this latest case involving Eastman, who previously served as one of his law clerks, Thomas chose to recuse himself. The case focused on Eastman’s attempts to prevent his former employer, Chapman University, from handing over archived emails connected to Eastman’s account.

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The case was essentially moot before the Supreme Court’s decision, as the committee already obtained the necessary emails and concluded its investigation.

Eastman has previously faced indictment for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. He also recently defended Thomas after allegations emerged that the justices had breached ethical standards.

Thomas had received criticism for not recusing from Trump’s Jan. 6 case due to his wife, Virginia, being a vocal supporter of Trump's efforts to overturn the election.

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