Samuel Alito Defends Call with Trump as ‘Innocent Job Referral’ Amid Legal Scrutiny
(Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito addressed concerns Wednesday over a phone conversation with President-elect Donald Trump, asserting the call was solely about a job referral for a former law clerk. However, the rare interaction between a sitting justice and an incoming president with active legal stakes before the Supreme Court has raised eyebrows among legal experts.
“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 told ABC News. “I agreed to discuss this matter with President-elect Trump, and he called me yesterday afternoon.”
The call, which took place Tuesday, occurred just hours before Trump asked the Supreme Court to block his criminal sentencing in the New York hush-money case. Trump’s request hinges on the court’s prior ruling on presidential immunity. Despite the timing, Alito denied any discussion of Trump’s legal proceedings 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,” Alito said. “We also did not discuss any other matter that is pending or might in the future come before the Supreme Court or any past Supreme Court decisions involving the President-elect.”
Trump is facing sentencing on Friday for 34 felony convictions tied to falsifying business records to conceal payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The Supreme Court has given prosecutors until Thursday morning to respond to Trump’s request to halt the proceedings, according to Politico News.
The call has sparked ethical concerns due to Alito’s prior rulings involving Trump and broader questions of impartiality. Law professor and ABC News contributor Kate Shaw commented on the unusual nature of the interaction: “While it is not rare for a sitting justice to provide a reference for a former clerk, it is highly unusual in this case, especially when the president-elect is engaged in multiple legal actions with the potential to go before the Supreme Court.”
William Levi, the former clerk in question, served under Alito from 2011 to 2012 and is reportedly being considered for legal roles in Trump’s administration, including general counsel of the Department of Defense. Levi previously served as chief of staff to then-Attorney General Bill Barr during Trump’s presidency.
The incident highlights ongoing scrutiny of judicial ethics and the potential implications of such high-level interactions during politically sensitive times.
