Former Saturday Night Live star and U.S. Senator from Minnesota Al Franken is taking bets on the chance that Judge Aileen Cannon will become a Supreme Court Justice in the future.
Cannon was appointed by Donald Trump as a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in 2020. Now after Trump’s federal indictment by a Miami grand jury, Cannon is scheduled to oversee the federal criminal case against the former president.
Franken asks his followers: “Odds on Aileen Cannon being next Supreme Court Justice? She delays the trial until after the election. Trump wins. Republicans take the Senate. Clarence Thomas resigns. 1 in 5?”
Odds on Aileen Cannon being next Supreme Court Justice? She delays the trial until after the election. Trump wins. Republicans take the Senate. Clarence Thomas resigns.
— Al Franken (@alfranken) June 13, 2023
1 in 5?#TrumpIndictment
Frankel’s followers are chiming in with their odds, as one replied: “I say that that’s at least 2/5. The wild card is how much money they can come up with for Thomas to take the buy out.”
I think that's at least 2/5. The wild card is how much money they can come up with for thomas to take the buy out
— Joaquin Taco (@SrMbarberra) June 14, 2023
While media outlets including The Washington Post are calling for Cannon to recuse herself from the case, legal experts including Stephen Gillers, a professor emeritus at N.Y.U. Law, points out: “One factor to consider in deciding whether recusal is necessary is how important the case is to the public and to the need for public trust.”
The case against Trump and its transparent and proper execution are surely critical to the public trust, though whether Cannon’s recusal would add to the perception of procedural integrity — or subtract from it — so far splits along party lines.
