US Justice Samuel Alito recently disclosed that he accepted concert tickets worth €810 from a German princess, Gloria von Thurn und Taxis. This information was included in Alito’s financial disclosure form, which he submitted after receiving an extension. The form did not detail the event for which the tickets were gifted, but Thurn und Taxis is known for her ultra-conservative political views and support for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Alito’s disclosure comes in the midst of increased scrutiny on ethics at the Supreme Court due to concerns about undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices.
Justice Clarence Thomas was also recently criticized for belatedly acknowledging travel paid for by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow in 2019. This included trips to Bali, Indonesia, and Sonoma County, California. Alito himself has faced scrutiny over a private plane trip he took to a luxury Alaska fishing lodge in 2008, funded by wealthy Republican donors. While Alito did not believe he was required to disclose this travel, he has now reported the trip in his financial disclosure form. Additionally, Alito disclosed several stock sales, including selling between $1,000 and $15,000 of Anheuser Busch stock in August of 2023 amidst a conservative boycott of the company. He also noted that a previous loan from Edward D. Jones was mostly paid down but had been omitted from past reports.
The Supreme Court justices recently adopted an ethics code, though it lacks a means of enforcement. Under this code, travel, food, and lodging are treated as expenses rather than gifts, and justices are not required to attach a monetary value to these expenses. Some Democrats, including President Joe Biden, have pushed for a binding code of conduct with enforcement mechanisms. However, the chances of such legislation passing through a divided Congress are slim. The justices’ annual financial disclosures offer insight into their finances, but they are not required to disclose the value of their homes or their spouses’ salaries.
Another justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, also disclosed concert tickets this year, gifted by the singer Beyoncé and valued at over $3,700. Additionally, several justices reported six-figure payments from book deals. In their official capacities, the justices are paid $298,500 annually, except for Chief Justice John Roberts, who earns $312,200. Justice Elena Kagan has advocated for the adoption of an enforcement mechanism for the ethics code to ensure accountability. However, the lack of such a mechanism and the limitations on financial disclosures leave room for questions about the justices’ financial interactions and potential conflicts of interest.
