Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan temporarily blocked a subpoena for the phone records of Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward.
The ruling on Wednesday means that the Supreme Court as a group would have to make any decision related to Ward's records.
Justice Elena Kagan Blocks January 6 Committee Subpoena of AZ GOP Chair Kelli Ward https://t.co/ERb3nQ9cOB via @BreitbartNews
— Elise Truss (@EliseTruss1) October 27, 2022
"Ward, who is a physician, argued that her phone records would contain private information about patients," Breitbart News reported.
"Her lawyers also told the Supreme Court that the subpoena would violate her First Amendment right to freedom of association," it added.
UPDATE: #SCOTUS Justice Kagan temporarily blocks House select committee subpoena for AZ GOP Chair Kelli Ward's phone records. House will weigh in by Friday. Via @kyledcheney @nicholaswu12 https://t.co/6euNmSbNPb
— Josh Gorestein (@joshgerstein) October 26, 2022
"Ward's case reaches the Supreme Court as the justices are weighing a separate emergency application brought by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., seeking to block a subpoena demanding his testimony in a Georgia prosecutor's investigation into allegations of 2020 election interference," NBC News reported.
"Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas issued a similar temporary stay while the court considers how to proceed," it added.
Supreme Court Justice Kagan Temporarily Blocks Jan. 6 Committee Subpoena for Phone Records of Arizona GOP Chair https://t.co/D2NEKFTnZI
— Martha Dunlap (@mgdunlap67) October 28, 2022
The concerns just weeks before the midterm elections also make the ruling an important factor.
Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has surged in recent polls, looking to take a surprising victory. In addition, Republican Sen. candidate Blake Masters is virtually tied in many polls with Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.
The ruling make come up again in the future, but it is unlikely as the J6 committee will be over after the next session of Congress begins, and the focus should shift to the second half of Biden's first term.