Left: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas leaves the U.S. Capitol on June 29, 2026 (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images). Right: President Donald Trump speaks at a back-to-school event in the White House Rose Garden on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).
Almost a month after Justice Clarence Thomas gave Donald Trump more time to seek Supreme Court review of his failed RICO case against Hillary Clinton, the president is back at the high court asking for another extension.
Trump’s private attorneys say their schedules are packed over the next three weeks with “numerous direct-appeal briefing, trial court, and hearing deadlines,” creating “good cause” for a second 30-day delay in filing a petition for a writ of certiorari. Alejandro Brito and Richard C. Klugh made the request in an application submitted Monday.
Brito, among other matters, represents Trump in Florida lawsuits against the BBC, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He is also represented by his own lawyers as they seek a stay pending appeal in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, after a federal judge referred him to the bar over his role in filing Trump’s “non-adversarial, collusive” lawsuit against the IRS.
“[G]ranting additional time will greatly serve the interest of justice, assist in preparing a clear, concise, and comprehensive petition for certiorari for the Court’s review, and reduce any interruption of the work of the President in his full-time and vital role as Chief Executive,” Trump’s lawyers told the court.
Thomas handles emergency and procedural applications arising from the 11th Circuit. He previously extended Trump’s deadline to Sept. 9; the new request asks to push it back again, this time to Oct. 9.
Trump’s RICO suit against Clinton accused Democrats of funding what he called “an unthinkable plot” to damage his 2016 campaign, burden his first term with allegations of “a sinister link” to Russia, and injure his business interests. A district court dismissed the case as “frivolous” and brought in “bad faith,” imposing $1 million in sanctions against Trump, Alina Habba, and Habba Madaio & Associates.
Earlier this year, the 11th Circuit rejected Trump’s bid for rehearing en banc after a three-judge panel swiftly disposed of his appeal.
But the president’s lawyers seem to think they’re on the verge of cracking the code, and need to conduct “substantial legal research” over the next month on “exceptionally important” questions — on lateness.
The first question asked “whether the statute of limitations for an individual claim for civil damages by the President is equitably tolled during the term of the Presidency where the misconduct to which the claim is addressed is also under investigation or being prosecuted by Executive Branch departments and agencies.”
Trump argues that the 11th Circuit “concluded, in error and without reaching the underlying merits of the President’s civil claims,” that his claims were time-barred and worthy of “extreme sanctions.”
“The forthcoming petition is likely to be granted in light of, among other things, the need to address the important issues discussed above,” the application ended.
The post Trump uses ‘vital role as Chief Executive’ and ‘urgent business’ as reasons for Justice Thomas to move Hillary Clinton deadline — again first appeared on Law & Crime.
