Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito confirmed speaking with President-elect Donald Trump this week but denied discussing an emergency legal application to block Trump's sentencing in his business records case, The Hill reported.
Alito confirmed on Wednesday that he spoke with Donald Trump but clarified that the conversation did not involve an emergency application Trump filed seeking to block his sentencing in a New York business records case.
Judge Juan Merchan scheduled the sentencing for Friday. It is part of Trump's ongoing legal battles regarding payments made during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump's attorneys have requested the Supreme Court halt the prosecution, citing unresolved appeals on presidential immunity.
Alito issued a statement addressing the call. "William Levi, one of my former law clerks, asked me to take a call from President-elect Trump regarding his qualifications to serve in a government position," Alito said. "I agreed to discuss this matter with President-elect Trump, and he called me yesterday afternoon."
Alito firmly denied that the emergency application was discussed during their conversation.
"We did not discuss the emergency application he filed today, and indeed, I was not even aware at the time of our conversation that such an application would be filed," he said.
The president-elect's legal filing argues that the prosecution should be delayed until questions regarding presidential immunity are resolved. Trump's attorneys underscored the urgency of the matter, stating: "President Trump is currently engaged in the most crucial and sensitive tasks of preparing to assume the executive power in less than two weeks, all of which are essential to the United States' national security and vital interests."
Alito's statement also addressed the scope of their conversation, emphasizing that the call was limited to a potential government appointment.
"At no point did we discuss any other matter that is pending or might in the future come before the Supreme Court or any past Supreme Court decisions" involving Trump, Alito added.
This issue arose amid heightened scrutiny of the Supreme Court's involvement in cases related to Trump.
In July, Alito was among six justices who ruled that core presidential powers are immune from criminal prosecution, a significant legal victory for Trump.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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