Clarence Thomas Temporarily Blocks Subpoena for Lindsey Graham to Testify in Georgia’s Election Interference Probe

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas temporarily blocked a Georgia grand jury’s subpoena of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to testify in the state’s investigation of alleged illegal interference in the 2020 election by former President Donald Trump’s allies. 

The Timeline: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis initially subpoenaed Graham on July 5, and lower courts rejected the senator’s requests to block the subpoena. On Friday, Graham asked the Supreme Court to intervene, and Thomas issued an “administrative stay” on Monday pending a further order from the court. 

For Context: Georgia is investigating whether phone calls made by Graham to Georgian election officials constituted illegal election interference. Thomas is also connected to the issue through his wife, Ginni Thomas, who texted former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to suggest strategies for overturning Trump’s election defeat. Ginni Thomas reaffirmed her “significant concerns about fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election” when she testified to the House January 6 committee in September. 

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was widespread across the spectrum but was more common in D.C.-focused outlets like The Hill (Center bias) and Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias). Fox News (Right bias) did not appear to cover this story by Monday evening. Some coverage from the left and center highlighted criticism on Thomas, including quotes like “Disgrace” and “Affront to Justice.”