A group of eight House Democrats, led by Georgia Representative Hank Johnson, has sent a letter to Justice Clarence Thomas urging him to recuse himself from the pending Supreme Court case concerning former President Donald Trump's absolute immunity from federal prosecution for alleged crimes committed while in office. The Democrats cite concerns about Thomas' impartiality due to the activities of his wife, Ginni Thomas, following the 2020 election. The letter references the new code of conduct adopted by the Supreme Court, which encourages justices to step aside when their impartiality may be questioned.

The Democrats signing the letter, in addition to Rep. Hank Johnson, include Representatives Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, Gerry Connolly of Virginia, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Dan Goldman of New York.

The special counsel, Jack Smith, last week urged the Supreme Court to quickly decide whether Trump is shielded from federal prosecution for allegedly attempting to obstruct the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election. Smith requested the justices to take up the case before a federal appeals court has the chance to weigh in, and the Supreme Court has agreed to expedite its consideration of whether to intervene.

Former President Donald Trump has until Wednesday to respond to Smith's request. Trump has been charged with four criminal counts related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, and he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Trump previously sought to have the charges against him dismissed, arguing for immunity for actions performed within the "outer perimeter" of his official duties. However, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over his criminal case, rejected the request, allowing the prosecution to move forward. Trump then appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which has expedited its review.

In the letter to Justice Thomas, the Democrats express concern over the declining trust in the Supreme Court and hold the justice partially responsible for damaging the public's perception of the high court. Thomas has faced scrutiny for his connections to a prominent Republican donor who provided him and Ginni Thomas with luxurious travel and accommodations over their 25-year friendship.

The Democrats also highlight Ginni Thomas' alleged involvement in Trump's attempts to overturn the election results. They point out her correspondence with Mark Meadows, Trump's former White House chief of staff, regarding efforts to challenge the election outcome and her urging of Wisconsin lawmakers to reverse President Biden's victory.

Ginni Thomas, during her testimony before the House select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot, stated that she did not discuss the legal challenges regarding the 2020 election with her husband and claimed that Thomas was unaware of the text messages she exchanged with Meadows.