Justice Alito says there was no discussion of Trump's pending case when the two spoke

WASHINGTON — Justice Samuel Alito confirmed Wednesday that he took a phone call from Donald Trump one day before the president-elect asked the Supreme Court to halt his upcoming sentencing, but insisted that the case was not discussed.

Alito said in a statement that they spoke Tuesday afternoon after one of his former law clerks, William Levi, "asked me to take a call from President-elect Trump regarding his qualifications to serve in a government position."

"I agreed to discuss this matter with President-elect Trump, and he called me yesterday afternoon," Alito said in the statement, which was first reported by ABC News. "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."

On Wednesday morning, Trump asked the Supreme Court to halt legal proceedings in his hush money case ahead of his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for Friday.

In the filing, the president-elect's lawyers argued that Trump is already protected by presidential immunity, and that the high court should block the New York proceedings in order "to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the Presidency and the operations of the federal government."

The Supreme Court has not yet responded to Trump's request.

• Add to Google

Trump appeals to Supreme Court to delay sentencing in hush money case

00:53

The emergency filing came after a New York judge on Monday rejected Trump’s request by declining to block the sentencing. Around noon on Tuesday, a New York appeals court judge also rejected Trump's bid.

Alito said that he and Trump "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 Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between killed New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

FOR SUBSCRIBERSMore oil is getting out of the Middle East. Why is it still so expensive?

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe complicated bargain between ‘looksmaxxing’ influencer Clavicular and the women in his orbit

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenators unveil bipartisan bill to deliver essential newborn supply kits to new moms

A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between killed New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

FOR SUBSCRIBERSMore oil is getting out of the Middle East. Why is it still so expensive?

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe complicated bargain between ‘looksmaxxing’ influencer Clavicular and the women in his orbit

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenators unveil bipartisan bill to deliver essential newborn supply kits to new moms

Alito came under scrutiny last year after an upside-down American flag flew outside of his Virginia home. The upside-down flag was previously adopted as a protest symbol by some Trump supporters who falsely believed the 2020 election was stolen.

Alito said at the time that he "had nothing whatsoever to do with the flying of that flag," noting in a letter to members of Congress that as soon as he saw the flag, he asked his wife Martha-Ann Alito to take it down, "but for several days, she refused."

After the incident, several congressional Democrats urged Alito to recuse himself from cases involving Trump. Alito declined.