SCOTUS approves Jan. 6 committee's peek into AZ GOP Chair Kelli Ward's phone records


The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that congressional investigators working with the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack may access the phone records of key election denial figure Kelli Ward, chair of the Arizona Republican Party, and a stalwart ally of former President Donald Trump.
Ward, who acted as one of the "fake electors" lined up by Trump and his allies to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election, had petitioned the court to block a Jan. 6 committee subpoena issued in Jan. 2022, writing that "if Dr. Ward's telephone and text message records are disclosed, congressional investigators are going to contact every person who communicated with her during and immediately after the tumult of the 2020 election" — an act which would "chill [...] public participation in partisan politics." In response to Ward's petition, liberal Justice Elena Kagan had temporarily blocked the committee's subpoena, while the high court considered the case.
Those considerations came to an end on Monday, with the court's 7-2 decision to allow the subpoena to proceed, with conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas indicating they would grant Ward's request. Crucially, Justice Thomas' has not recused himself from this and other related cases despite his wife, conservative activist Ginni Thomas, also figuring prominently in the Jan. 6 committee's investigation.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ward's earlier effort to quash the committee's subpoena had been rejected by both a district court judge, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which noted that "The [phone records requested] include metadata such as the time and duration of incoming and outgoing calls and the numbers involved; they do not include content or location information."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
How will Trump's megabill affect you?
Today's Big Question Republicans have passed the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress
-
Scientists are the latest 'refugees'
In the spotlight Brain drain to brain gain
-
5 dreamy books to dive into this July
The Week Recommends A 'politically charged' collection of essays, historical fiction goes sci-fi and more
-
Ukraine scrambles as Trump cuts weapons deliveries
Speed Read The halting of weapons shipments was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a Ukraine funding skeptic
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
Israel strikes Iran, killing military and nuclear chiefs
Speed Read Israeli officials said the attack was a 'preemptive' strike on Iran's nuclear program
-
Israel deports Thunberg after seizing Gaza aid boat
speed read The Swedish activist was delivering food and medical aid to Palestine, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis there
-
Colombian senator shot on streets of Bogotá
speed read Miguel Uribe Turbay, who has announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election, was shot at a rally