Justice Alito Confirms Call with Trump Before Hush-Money Filing

On Wednesday, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito confirmed that he spoke with President-elect Donald Trump prior to the hush-money filing by Trump's lawyers to the Supreme Court.

Key Details: Alito agreed to take the call from Trump after his former clerk William Levi asked him for a recommendation for a job in the Trump Administration. The call occurred hours before the filing, asking the Supreme Court to pause sentencing in the New York hush-money case while appeals for presidential immunity play out. The Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on Trump's request by Friday morning.

Key Quote: “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. "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."

For Context: It is not unusual for justices to recommend former clerks for positions within the government, but the timing of the call drew criticism from those who have raised ethics concerns and called for more transparency in courts. Trump is due to be sentenced on Friday after being found guilty in May of falsifying business records related to a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

How the Media Covered it: ABC News (Lean Left bias) noted that New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has signaled that he may sentence Trump to an unconditional discharge without fines, prison, or probation that would still blemish Trump's record. Fox News (Right bias) noted that Alito was "unaware there was an emergency request" being prepared by Trump's lawyers with respect to the New York case.