Conservative Supreme Courtroom Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday briefly placed on maintain a requirement that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., testify in a Georgia prosecutor’s probe of alleged interference within the 2020 election by former President Donald Trump and his allies.
The choice by Thomas, who handles emergency requests that come up from Georgia, freezes the litigation whereas the justices weigh Graham’s plea that the Supreme Courtroom quash the subpoena. Thomas had beforehand requested legal professionals for the Fulton County District Lawyer’s Workplace to answer Graham’s request by shut of enterprise on Thursday. Thomas can deal with the applying by himself, though typically such points get referred to the complete nine-justice courtroom, which has a 6-3 conservative majority.
Final week, the Atlanta-based eleventh U.S. Circuit Courtroom of Appeals rejected Graham’s try and keep away from answering questions on two telephone calls he made to Georgia election officers after the 2020 election as a result of, he argued, his actions had been protected below the U.S. Structure’s speech and debate clause.