Richard Blumenthal urges John Roberts to 'convince' Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas to recuse from Donald Trump's cases

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Richard Blumenthal has written to Chief Justice John Roberts, expressing his concerns over the impartiality of Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas in cases involving former president Donald Trump.

Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, believes that the justices’ conduct could be seen as compromising the integrity of the judiciary while urging Roberts to persuade them for recusal.

Justice Samuel Alito refused recusal in letter to Senate and House Democrats 

The senator heightened the concerns on Thursday, May 30, following Justice Alito’s refusal to recuse himself from Trump-related cases on Wednesday, May 29.

Alito came under Democrat's scrutiny due to the presence of flags at his residences in 2021 that symbolize the 'Stop the Steal' movement.

“I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag,” Alito explained in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin on Wednesday, May 29, refusing recusal.

"My wife is fond of flying flags. I am not,” he wrote in separate letters to Senate and House Democrats who had called him to recuse himself from cases involving criminal charges Trump faces. 

Senator Richard Blumenthal's request to Chief Justice John Roberts

In a letter to Roberts, Blumenthal asked him to pressure judges Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas to rescue themselves from Trump-related cases. 

“Your position gives you substantial moral and persuasive authority to establish norms of behavior and to hold your colleagues to them,” Blumenthal wrote in the letter, according to The Hill. 

“I urge you to use that authority to convince Justices Thomas and Alito to recuse themselves in these cases — critical to our democracy and the rule of law — where their ‘impartiality might reasonably be questioned'” Bluementhal wrote.

Richard Blumenthal cites Justice Clarence Thomas' refusal of recusal 

Justice Clarence Thomas has also been urged to consider recusal due to the political activities of his wife, Ginni Thomas, who is known for her support of Trump and efforts to contest the 2020 presidential election results.

“Justice Thomas did not recuse. He did not explain his decision. And the court’s ethical shortcomings have only grown,” Blumenthal stated.

Blumenthal urged Roberts to use his authority to assign opinions and circuit justiceships as a means to enforce ethical standards.

“I urge you not to assign opinions or circuit justiceships to Justices Alito and Thomas if they fail to recuse themselves from further participation in United States v. Trump and other cases relating to January 6th and the ‘Stop the Steal’ movement,” he wrote.

Richard Blumenthal warns public trust by allowing Justices to preside on cases in question would plummet

The senator warned that the court’s integrity is at risk if Justices Alito and Thomas continue to oversee cases where their impartiality is questionable.

“When a justice openly flies flags closely associated with one political candidate, then fails to recuse himself once that candidate becomes a litigant, it contributes to the court’s plummeting public trust,” Blumenthal expressed.

He further argued that by asking such a justice to author an opinion, “you sanction that justice’s ethical lapses. Not merely a bystander to your colleagues’ misbehavior, you become a validator of their conduct.”