Justices Rule Against Arizona GOP Leader in Jan. 6 Records Fight
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for the House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol to access phone records belonging to the Arizona Republican Party’s chairwoman.
As is their long-standing custom, the justices did not explain the rationale for their decision, though the brief order noted conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito would have granted the request for relief sought by Kelli Ward and her husband.
The court’s decision voids a temporary order that had been put in place by Justice Elena Kagan.
In her bid to block disclosure of her phone records, Ward had argued her First Amendment rights would be chilled if investigators were able to learn whom she spoke with while trying to challenge the defeat of former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
A federal appeals court panel previously ruled 2-1 against Ward and said the committee should get records of calls she made and received from just before the November 2020 election to Jan. 31, 2021.
