Justice Alito's Call with Trump Spurs Ethical Debate

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito confirmed he received a call from President-elect Donald Trump discussing a job recommendation for a former clerk, William Levi, but insists they did not discuss Trump's pending legal matters. This call, occurring just before Trump filed an emergency petition to halt his New York sentencing in a hush-money case, has raised ethical concerns among legal analysts and commentators. Alito, who has faced scrutiny for potential ethical conflicts, stated he was unaware of the emergency application at the time of their conversation. Critics argue that even if the conversation was about a job, the timing creates an appearance of impropriety, exacerbated by Alito's history of rulings favorable to Trump. Trump’s request to the Supreme Court seeks to delay his sentencing, arguing presidential immunity, despite a New York jury convicting him on multiple felony counts. The Supreme Court has been given until Thursday morning to respond, with Trump's sentencing scheduled for Friday.