Thomas said the rules that applied to Bill Clinton in 1997 should also apply to Donald Trump today.
Justice Clarence Thomas defended the Supreme Court’s 27-year-old landmark ruling against former President Bill Clinton while writing that former President Donald Trump would not be immune from criminal prosecution over « unofficial acts. »
The Supreme Court finally issued its ruling on Trump’s immunity claims Monday, holding in a 6-3 decision that he is protected from criminal prosecution for official acts but not unofficial acts.
In a concurring opinion, Thomas cited Clinton v. Jones—a 1997 case that established a sitting president is not immune from civil litigation for acts done before assuming office or acts unrelated to the office—as precedent for presidential immunity.
Thomas said while presidential immunity is required to ensure that a president’s decision-making isn’t threatened by the possibility of future litigation, « that concern does not support immunity for unofficial conduct.
