Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Rejects Calls to Recuse Himself from Jan. 6 Cases
Chief Justice Under Fire
Justice Alito's decision has sparked outrage among Democrats
WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Wednesday declined to step aside from two pending cases relating to former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The decision has sparked outrage among Democrats, who have accused Alito of putting his political interests ahead of the law. Alito, who was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2006, is one of the most conservative justices on the court.
In a letter to members of Congress, Alito said he did not believe that he had any conflicts of interest that would prevent him from hearing the cases.
"I have reviewed the relevant materials, and I have concluded that there is no basis for me to recuse myself from these cases," Alito wrote.
The two cases that Alito is refusing to recuse himself from are a request from Trump to block the release of White House records to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and a lawsuit filed by Trump allies seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.
Democrats have argued that Alito should recuse himself from the cases because he has made public statements critical of the Jan. 6 attack and because he is a close friend of Trump's former White House counsel, Pat Cipollone.
"Justice Alito's decision to refuse to recuse himself from these cases is a clear indication that he is putting his political interests ahead of the law," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the two cases on Jan. 6, 2023.
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