His title notwithstanding, the chief justice cannot force a colleague’s recusal. If Justice Clarence Thomas is to disqualify himself, it will be his decision.
The House committee is reaching out to the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas after public disclosure of text messages documenting her support for President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the election.
In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas was involved in a range of efforts to keep President Donald J. Trump in power.
The nature of the text messages was enough to require recusal, legal experts said. But the Supreme Court has traditionally left such decisions to the discretion of the justice in question.