Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says he spoke with Trump on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito spoke with President-elect Donald Trump about a former law clerk the day before Trump went to the high court in a push to delay the sentencing in his New York hush-money case, the justice said Wednesday.

Alito said he took the call Tuesday afternoon from Trump at the request of a former law clerk, William Levi, to recommend him for a job in the upcoming administration. The two did not discuss the upcoming emergency motion, or any other court matters, Alito said.

“I was not even aware at the time of our conversation that such an application would be filed,” he said in the statement. They also did not discuss any other matters that could come before the court in the future, Alito said. Former Supreme Court clerks are often in high demand for top government and law firm jobs.

Trump’s attorneys asked the Supreme Court to delay his sentencing in New York, arguing it could disrupt the presidential transition and would violate the high court’s previous ruling on immunity for former presidents in another case against Trump.

Alito has faced calls to recuse himself from cases involving Trump after revelations that flags associated with people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were seen flying outside of his homes. Alito said his wife had flown the flags, and did not recuse himself.

The Tuesday call was first reported by ABC News.